Persisting: Thinking About College Debate 2.0
By Jaya Nayar, Harvard ’24, and Jasmine Stidham, Teacher and Coach at Harvard-Westlake and Assistant Coach at Dartmouth College. A previous version of this article was published last year.
If you are reading this article, there is a good chance you are pretty invested in debate. For many students, debate is life. It structures a significant portion of our time, energy, and relationships. It is not rare for a student’s high school experience to revolve around this wonderfully bizarre activity, leading seniors to consider collegiate debate. There are myriad reasons to pursue collegiate debate: scholarship opportunities, establishing connections on campus, travel (RIP for now), building your résumé, making friends, and more. You do not have to be a TOC champion to compete in college; some of the best college debaters never stepped foot on the national circuit during high school. No matter your skill level or accolades, college debate is for you. We have outlined several pieces of advice to guide your conversations and decision-making process when selecting a college program.
Choosing a Team: Relevant Factors
There are important factors you should consider when researching a university’s debate team. Some of these will be weighted differently, depending on your preferences.
1. Big school vs. Small school
This divide still exists in college, but its impact is limited. Attending a “big school” has its advantages. There is typically an abundance of resources, coaches, debaters, and administrative support. You get to partake in a “big tent” environment, which brings people together from different debate backgrounds. This can be extremely attractive to students who thrive in such an environment, or for students who attended a smaller high school and want the big school experience. Though, there are potential disadvantages of which you should be aware of. Being involved in a large program can sometimes mean fewer opportunities or, at the very least, fluctuating opportunities for some students. Put simply, intra-squad competition characteristic of big schools means only select teams get to travel to certain tournaments. This does not mean all large programs are cutthroat thunderdomes where you get voted off the island due to your performance, but there is an element of struggle in climbing up the ladder. Debating at a small school, however, can potentially avoid these drawbacks. Smaller programs usually have fewer debaters, which means less intra-squad competition. You do not have to fight for spots at tournaments or a coach’s attention. Regarding scholarships, there are numerous small schools that have significant financial resources. Most of these schools fly under the radar because they might not seem competitive compared to larger teams, which leaves these scholarships open for the right student. This is a good reminder to always explore your options, because you never know what you could be missing. Of course, there are possible drawbacks when competing for a smaller squad. It can be more difficult to find a reliable partner due to low numbers and lack of recruiting. The coaching staff might be limited, which makes it harder to keep up with research obligations. These are all valid concerns for someone selecting a program.
2. Argumentative preferences
This can be relevant if you are someone who wants to engage in specific styles of debate. If you strongly prefer critical arguments, you should choose a program that has a willingness and desire to coach you with those strategies in mind. Likewise, if you prefer policy arguments, you should choose a program that is conducive to your predilections.
3. Team culture
This is crucial for all students thinking about college debate. A team’s culture speaks volumes about how they treat their students, allow students to be treated, and what they value. Consider the following:
a. Do the coaches facilitate team bonding activities?
b. Are there efforts to include all students in these activities?
c. Do the debaters hang out in other social settings?
d. Are social gatherings welcome to everyone on the team?
e. Is there an emphasis on partying, drugs, alcohol, etc.?
f. How does the team deal with issues like sexual harassment, racism, microaggressions, etc.?
g. Does everyone share their work?
h. Do certain teams or students receive more attention than others?
i. How many students have left the team in recent years?
4. Diversity
This is similar to team culture but deserves its own subpoint. If a team is primarily made up of white men, that’s most likely a red flag. Representation is obviously not everything, but it can be a tell-tale sign of an unwelcoming team environment.
5. Scholarships/financial assistance
This factor is huge for many students. Some college programs might not have debate scholarships, but they could have the ability to get you an out-of-state tuition waiver. Additionally, you should ask about how those scholarships or waivers are funded. For example, many universities rely on alumni donations or funds from running a high school camp. Those funding sources are not always stable or guaranteed. Remember to always get everything in writing.
Connecting with Coaches
Your first step in the process should be to get in touch with the director and/or assistant director of the program(s) in which you are interested. Even if you are on the fence about college debate, it is far better to put yourself out there so you can get your foot in the door. Most high school students are intimidated by this process, because they don’t believe they are “good enough” for particular schools. This is a common misconception. College directors, on balance, are not fixated on your high school record as much as you might assume. Coaches want hard-working, dedicated, and eager students on their team; not just kids who managed to get a TOC bid. Connecting with coaches early in the process is strategic, because it demonstrates your enthusiasm for a program and allows you to gain valuable insight about the school more generally.
Email Template
If you are still terrified to send an email to a college coach, we’ve got you covered. Below is a generic template you can use to reach out to coaches.
Hello _____,
My name is ____, and I am a rising senior at _____. I’m currently coached by _____. I’ve competed in [policy] for X years. [Optional sentence about accolades]. I have a strong desire to debate in college. I am very interested in learning more about the debate program at ____. Would it be possible for us to schedule a Zoom meeting sometime in the near future? I would love to hear more about the team, scholarship opportunities, the coaches, etc.
Thank you in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Connecting with Students
Once you have communicated with the director and/or assistant director, your next step should be to talk with students on the team. Coaches can point you in the right direction by giving you the contact information for current debaters. Don’t be afraid to send them an email asking if you can chat more about the program. In most instances, the debaters will be excited to speak with you and answer your questions, because they want prospective students to join the team. Connecting with the debaters gives you unique insight about the team and school that the coaches might not possess. This allows you to get a better feel for the school and a more honest perspective on college debate.
Asking the Right Questions
The third and final tip is to write out a list of questions you want to ask before you meet with a coach or current debater. These are some questions you should consider asking:
How have you found that most students manage debate work with school and missing classes?
How much of the evidence production is student-run, and how much of it is completed by coaches?
What is the team’s expectation on how much work each debater should do in order to compete nationally? Are there requirements to attend tournaments?
How many coaches are there and how accessible are they?
In terms of coaching, how much one-on-one time can each student expect based on how much work they’re willing to put in?
How big is the team in terms of students?
Did most of the students compete in high school?
On average, how many tournaments does the team attend each season?
Are there travel restrictions unique to freshmen? How many tournaments are available to freshmen?
Are there any scholarship opportunities for debate?
Are there tuition waivers for out-of-state students?
Are those scholarships/waivers guaranteed each year?
How are partnerships decided? Do the students choose their partners, or do the coaches?
We hope these tips help you in your decision-making process. Good luck, seniors!