When Anthony Jack started inviting students on scholarships out for dinner during their spring break at one of the most elite universities in the US north-east, he wondered whether they were being polite but did not enjoy the food. They often ate slowly and asked for at least half of their meal to be wrapped up to take away.

In fact, many were going hungry, surviving on a meagre income and trapped on campus while the cafeteria was closed during holidays, unable to travel to — or unwelcome at — home. They turned one meal into two and bought cheap bread, cheese and peanut butter in bulk. Some women used the dating app Tinder just so their dates would pay for meals out.

These were among the strategies that Jack (no relation), an academic now based at Harvard University, describes in his book. It’s a sobering reminder that, despite considerable efforts in recent years to increase the intake of talented young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds into leading universities and colleges, much more needs to be done to prepare and support them during their studies if they are to thrive.