I think this problem is unique to USA. I am a foreign-born US citizen from a 3rd world Asian country from a poor uneducated parentage, one of those STEM workers working in Tech. Where I graduated B.S. Computer Engg from college (not here), we take a test and in-person interview for college admissions - all by merit. Really simple, but then, we are of one race. If you can't pay, you can apply for a scholarship. Female engineers are less in number, but that's by choice. Lots of female doctors, dentists, nurses, and teachers. Lawyers are about even male/female. More males in armed forces and police. Again, those are by choice. We were raised to value education as a means to get out of poverty. We were raised believing that there is honor and reward in hard and honest work.
A common problem in Asia is called "brain drain". Highly educated Asians immigrate to the US, Europe, Middle East for work - instead of staying in-country during their prime working age. We are just not paid enough from where I come from. Sometimes we accept under-employment pay and benefits in US/EU not commensurate with our level of education because the $$ exchange rate still results to a bigger pay amount compared to what we would have received had we stayed in our birth country. And to me, USA freedom feels more real than what "freedom" means elsewhere in Asia.
I am against affirmative action. American colleges should admit based on:
1. US citizenship, reading and writing proficiency in English, no-calculator proficiency in basic arithmetic, knowledge of US Constitution and basic US history
2. Academic Merit prioritizing STEM with a timed standard test
3. For everything else non-STEM, a standard test result such as ASVAB with suggested college major and career path so students are matched to careers they can be successful in. A lot of high school grads I talk to don't have any idea what to do or choose. Sometimes they choose wrong, they take up a major they can't complete.
4. If you have low academics for STEM but want to major in STEM, the college that accepts you should put you in a pre-college class until you pass the standard STEM test. Then you can apply for the major on the next school year.
5. Improve high school and elementary school outcomes to bridge the education gap. I think the issue is failure by these organizations to produce college-ready population. The issue is NOT the standardized tests.
6. Culture change to look highly on academic achievement. I noticed in the US, people put more value in entertainment and sports and fashion and social status, but look at academic excellence as "nerdy" negative sort-of pursuits. Kids spend too much time doing extra-curricular but not enough on academics. Parents should really spend more effort making sure their children are doing academic school work well.
7. College student loan should not exceed realistic earnings potential for a given college major. I don't get how a student major in literature or history or art can have a student loan more than 100K dollars. How can you repay that loan in a reasonable time with possible jobs requiring your degree? There should be better advising on practicality of where students are spending their tuition on.
8. Elementary school government educational funds should be attached to the student, not the school. Schools should compete for students, instead of forcing students to go to assigned schools. Teachers should get continuous training in STEM and score high on standardized tests their students are expected to take.
9. All schools offer free AP classes and free two SAT/ACT testing to all junior/senior students. Free test prep classes are required starting junior year.
10. Companies that hire foreign workers are required to give 1:1 college scholarship to US citizens to graduate with the same educational level/qualification as the foreign hire. The scholarship goes to one national fund to be given to incoming college freshmen who will be required to study and work in that field. Just by merit, ability, desire, and commitment. The scholarship requires a minimum academic grade to be maintained for the scholarship to continue.