CERRITOS, Calif. – The Los Angeles Times is highlighting the competitive disadvantage Asian Americans face in admissions to U.S. universities – a problem some think is getting worse and increasing stress on students to attend top schools.

The Times points to businesses like HS2 Academy, which work with Asian American parents to combat the racial bias in college admissions that’s become increasingly obvious. At one of 10 HS2 outposts across the state, the group’s co-founder Ann Lee put the problem into perspective for a crowd of Asian American parents with the help of a Princeton University study.

Using SAT scores, Princeton researchers attempted to gauge how a student’s race weighed on college admissions. Lee’s presentation showed African Americans received 230 “bonus” points, and Hispanics received 185.

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Asian Americans were essentially penalized 50 points, Lee told parents, according to the Times.

“Do Asians need higher test scores? Is it harder for Asians to get into college? The answer is yes,” she said.

American universities have denied any type of racial considerations, and their supporters have criticized the Princeton study, but policy analysts like the American Enterprise Institute’s Charles Murray believe the discrimination is there.

“I propose this challenge to any Ivy League school that denies it has a de facto quota for Asian admissions. Let a third party—any number of highly respected research organizations could handle this task—randomly select a large sample of applications from which the 2012 entering class was selected,” Murray wrote in 2012.

“Delete all material identifying race or ethnicity. Then, applying the criteria and the weighting system that the university claims to be using, have expert judges make simulated admissions decisions. Let’s see what percentage of Asians get in under race-blind conditions. I’m betting 25% at least, with 30–40% as more probable.”

Part of the issue is that the desire to obtain the best possible education is engrained in Asian culture, as evidenced by the fact that Asian American families spend more on education than any other demographic. Asian Americans also represent a much larger share of the student body at elite universities than they do in the population as a whole.

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For those reasons Asians typically oppose affirmative action policies that would reduce available spots and have complained about discrimination in admissions, according to the Times.

“That perspective has pitted them against advocates for diversity: More college berths for Asian American students mean fewer for black and Latino students, who are statistically underrepresented at top universities,” the news site reports.

Another aspect of the issue is that Asian parents have flocked to enroll their children in high schools with high academic achievement, which concentrates Asian applicants in certain schools and makes it more difficult for them to make an impact on admissions officials.

The situation is prompting parents to seek out any competitive advantage for their children that they can find, including things like private tutoring centers or college admissions consultants like HS2, the Times reports.

HS2 advisors, meanwhile, are encouraging Asian American students to broaden their interests and experiences to help themselves stand out from their peers.

“Everyone is in orchestra and plays piano,” Lee told the Times. “Everyone plays tennis. Everyone wants to be a doctor, and write about immigrating to America. You can’t get in with these cliche applications.”

They also attempt to explain why it’s more difficult for Asian students to gain admittance to top schools, though she admits she typically receives a tepid response.

“It’s really hard for me to explain diversity to parents whose only goal is getting their son into Harvard,” Lee said.

Asian students like Lawrence Leonn, 16, are keenly aware of their ethnic disadvantage, but remain committed to their goals regardless.

“I don’t want to be racist or anything,” Leonn told the Times. “Everyone works hard and struggles. But there’s this feeling that it’s going to be harder for us.”