However, many firms are now acknowledging the need for change, as they seek to recruit talented students regardless of background.
Between years three and nine, talented students from poorer backgrounds fall almost two years behind their peers from richer backgrounds.
"Harvard College welcomes talented students from all backgrounds, including Asian-Americans," he said.
Throughout my term, we worked hard to attract talented prosecutors from diverse backgrounds, and we achieved a measure of success.
She said the university's demands were "unfair and shortsighted" because they blocked talented students from poor backgrounds.
Cambridge, while resisting the idea of lower admissions criteria for poorer pupils, trumpets its £4m a year spending on "outreach" work to identify talented pupils from deprived backgrounds.
He's often asked, by business executives as well as fellow-coaches, how he gets "all these talented kids from different backgrounds to come together," he explained.
Massenet said: "As a global industry, we should make a commitment to support talented people from all backgrounds to fulfil their dreams and access the best universities in the world.
In total six "talented people from BAME backgrounds" will be given the chance to work with the corporation's top team, including director of strategy and digital James Purnell, BBC Worldwide chief Tim Davie and finance and operations managing director Anne Bulford.
They move to pricey neighbourhoods with good schools, spend a packet on flute lessons and pull strings to get junior into a top-notch college.The universities that mould the American elite seek out talented recruits from all backgrounds, and clever poor children who make it to the Ivy League may have their fees waived entirely.
