Parents in Los Angeles are facing the harsh reality of a major squeeze to get their children into top preschools as renowned private schools have set limited quotas for entrants.

Shirley Jahad is planning to register her two-year-old daughter at a preschool and had not expected to face such a fierce situation, which is even more intense than seeking entry into some colleges.

She first tried a famous private preschool in La Canada. Under the help of her friend, who previously worked in the school board, she had to pay $600 for booking a position.

Shirley decided to rethink about this preschool as she cannot fully agree with the school's "open education" attitude, which makes it more important for children to explore their own potential than acquire academic knowledge.

She later asked another school in Pasadena and was told that there were over 20 families on the waiting list.

Jim McManus, executive director of the California Association of Independent Schools, said that the current enrollment rate of private preschools in LA is about 10 percent, with the proportion even lower in more renowned schools.

The fierce competition forces parents to show special prowess. Lin, a Chinese-American mother whose two kids both entered private preschools in Pasadena, recalled her experience, saying that almost all her spare time was devoted to volunteering for her kids' schools.

These great demands have produced a new industry, preschool consulting. Consultants teach parents how to write a convincing application, choose the best school for their kids, establish good relations with directors and turn a family photo into a touching postcard. The process and items are as numerous as those to apply a college.

Jamie Nissenbaum, a consultant from a local consulting company, told the Global Times that the average tuition fee for a private preschool has been $20,000 a year in LA since 2008 when the enrollment rate was only 34 percent, much lower than the nationwide average.

The consulting service is most welcomed in communities where celebrities flock. Movie and sports stars are more than willing to schmooze admission directors in preschools and try their best to send their kids into those top preschools.

One anonymous director said one desperate parent even said he could write a $ 100,000 check to make sure his kid got in.

However, money and fame are not as effective in preschools as they are in other places. Fiona Whitney, author of the best-seller The Whitney Guide to LA's Top Private Preschools, said that top private preschools pay more attention to parents who are willing to spend time at school and help develop children's personal abilities, instead of money.

Lin said that not all parents fully understand the purpose of such schools, adding that some rich Chinese parents only donate money and refused to volunteer.