Regarding admissions, they’re already trying to de-emphasize the SAT at many universities. I’m not sure what they’re doing for STEM admissions. You can get away with that nonsense in the Leftist Arts, but as Richard Feynman famously put it, “For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.” And make no mistake about it, modern life depends on successful technology.
Like everything under the bureaucratic nanny state, intervention and meddling have created a massive dichotomy. The top US STEM schools have only INCREASED their requirements for admissions, and are more difficult to enter than ever. These schools also draw the top students internationally, who have money to pay full tuitions as well - and its not just China or Korean students either. The competition is intense.