Well, putting applicants in different pools based on various characteristics–some of them race/ethnicity–is just a fact of life in elite college admissions. There is no point of hiding it from applicants and their families, at least not on CC. Its only natural in this ultra-competitive landscape people are trying to find whatever advantage they can in the process. But to answer OP’s question, it probably doesn’t make any difference you check the Asian box or not if you are already in this not so big “unhooked” pool.