Why Debate Should Be Your Number One Extracurricular

I want to start with skills — because that’s where debate separates itself from everything else.

Debate gives students a skill set that applies to every single field. Every single one.

My first national champion is in medical school right now. Another works in government. Another went into journalism. Completely different careers — and all of them rely on the exact same skills they developed in debate every single day.

Debate teaches nonverbal communication, which is essential and wildly underrated. Eye contact. Posture. Facial expression. Presence. These things matter whether you’re giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, pitching an idea, or just having an important interpersonal conversation. How you carry yourself changes how people receive you.

Debate also teaches students how to make an argument — and this is one of the most important life skills there is.

We live in a world where differentiation matters more every year. You have to be able to advocate for yourself and for what you believe in. That might mean arguing for a promotion in an interview, explaining why your business is the best option, or passionately defending a belief you care about. Making a well-thought-out, structured argument is not optional in life — it’s essential.

Research is another massive piece. Many students will do research as part of their careers, whether they end up in STEM, journalism, law, policy, or academia. Debate introduces research skills early and does so across the most diverse set of topics in the country. Students learn how to evaluate sources, understand methodology, and actually read information critically instead of just accepting it.

And then there’s the biggest one: effective public speaking.

As more and more tasks become automated, our ability to present ourselves will only grow in importance. Think about it. Coding and many technical skills are already being automated at a rapid pace. What’s left is our voice. Our ability to communicate, persuade, and connect in real time.

Public speaking isn’t a skill just for influencers or politicians. Every single person needs it. If you want your student to have the essential skills of tomorrow, put them in debate. In 2035, public communication will be viewed the way coding was viewed in 2020 — not optional, but foundational.

That’s the skills side. Now let’s talk college.

I had two college counseling students get into Stanford University Early Action in December of 2025. Both were debate students. The versatility of debate in their applications was massive. I’ve seen the same thing with students admitted to Berkeley, Michigan, Yale, and Harvard.

Debate gives students something that applies to every major and every career path, especially when they know how to tell a story of personal growth through it. I was recently speaking with an Ivy League admissions officer who told me that debate — when framed correctly — “is always a major positive” on an application. It signals a wide array of skills in a way very few extracurriculars can.

Debate helps in the short term through college admissions and in the long term through real, usable skills.

And finally there’s the community.

Speech and debate exposes students to people from every walk of life — and often to the future leaders of entire industries.

Ketanji Brown Jackson did speech and debate.
Chadwick Boseman did speech and debate.
Justin Rosenstein, co-founder of Asana, did speech and debate.

Different fields. Same activity.

Your student will be surrounded by people who go on to shape law, tech, media, business, and culture. No matter their interests, the people who become exceptional in their fields tend to pass through this space.

On a personal level, every co-owner I have across my businesses is someone I met through speech and debate. The relationships are real, deep, and lasting.

But here’s the key part — you only get all of these benefits by fully committing.

The skills don’t cap. You keep improving. You keep gaining an edge.
The stories colleges care about come from going all in.
The relationships come from embracing the community.

Speech and debate is worth committing to.

It delivers short-term benefits for college, long-term benefits for life, and a skill set that grows more valuable every year. No matter a student’s interests, doing debate at a high level is absolutely worth their time.