I have to admit when I watched the documentary - “Try Harder”, I got really emotional and even shed tears as the story reminded me of lots of my students. I have been a professional college application advisor for 20 years and the majority of my students are Asian. It's no secret that Asian-Americans have a harder time getting into top colleges than students of other races. As a result, many students refer to Lowell High as "Asian Excellence School'' and even make fun of themselves as "AP Machines". In doing so, the students have placed a large stereotype on themselves.
The holistic review and diversity in College Admission have caused real disadvantages for Asian-American students in the competition for an elite education. Many Asian-American children don’t even question why their college applications will be viewed differently. This is accurately portrayed in the film when the teacher directly states in his presentation "You are Asian!" as an explanation for why an Asian-American student may not be admitted to the elite universities despite being an excellent student. In response, the students roared with laughter and simply accepted their fate.
Having worked with so many students and parents in the industry, I have never denied that Asian-American students are at a disadvantage in the application process. This is not a novel issue. But I never tell students or their parents that the solution is to "try to be less Asian and try not to look Asian". First of all, Asian students should be proud of their own ethnicities. Secondly, the best college applications are always the ones that show authenticity. To be more direct, Asian students can't just claim they're African-American to win the game.
Students should always try their own best. Even if they are all Chinese, they don't have to be the same, or lose their own style because they are following others’ footsteps. In other words, try to get out of the box of your own thinking and find your greatest strengths. Asian students must continue to work hard, maintain a solid academic foundation and record. In addition, spending more time and energy on extracurricular activities and community service is common advice for almost all Asian-American children.
“Try Harder” is valuable because it gives an honest look at the real circumstances in which children of different races grow up. It also shows why top universities deliberately give extra opportunities to certain educationally underprivileged groups. However, we, as Asian-Americans, must never give up on fighting for our rights. America is a place where voices are encouraged. Silence is not going to solve the problems in our communities.
College applications are a process. Success or failure, it will never be the result of someone’s life. However, when higher education uses campus diversity and holistic review as the reasons to push down the chances of Asian-Americans in the admissions process, it sacrifices not just the future of these top students, but also the competitiveness of the nation as a whole. Of course, I am convinced that these outstanding children will still have a bright future in the end.
I highly recommend this documentary to the Chinese community, especially to parents who care about their children's education as well as all students. The story and the meaning behind “Try Harder” are presented smoothly while demonstrating the concepts in a way that everyone can understand the issues. Try Harder's official website: tryharderfilm.com
Director, HS2 Academy
Vickie Chiang