If You Can Make It Here
2026•NR•59m•Released
Documentary
Kingsley, Kevin, and Hailey are three ambitious eighth graders preparing for a single exam that could determine their futures. They’re competing for admission to New York City’s Specialized High Schools, elite public institutions that have produced Nobel Prize laureates, astronauts, judges, artists, and national leaders. But as the kids await their test results, a citywide battle is raging over who should attend these schools—the kids who score highest on the entrance exam or the kids who improve diversity. Featuring interviews with kids, parents, and education leaders, If You Can Make It Here places young students at the center of a high-stakes cultural conflict over the future of equity and excellence in public education.
Director
Jaclyn Boudreau
Writer
Jaclyn Boudreau, Joseph Kast
Budget
$0M
Languages
English
Studio
Pacific Legal Foundation
Cast
Wai Wah Chin
Self
Michael Benjamin
Self
Freddie DeBoer
Self
John McWhorter
Self
Lisa Greenwald
Self
Yiatin Chu
Self
Jon Roberts
Self
Kingsley Huang
Self
Hailey Yap
Self
Kevin Williams
Self
Isabelle Williams
Self
Kristina Raevsky
Self
Joel Klein
Self
Production
Company
Pacific Legal Foundation
Producer
Grant Brown
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