Michigan Debate Team Recruiting
Building Success in 2009/2010
The University of Michigan's Intercollegiate Debating Team dates back to the year 1890, establishing it as one of the oldest debate programs in the United States. The program is currently under the direction of Aaron Kall.
Consistent Competitive Accomplishment
During the last forty years the Michigan program has been one of the most successful in the nation. Two times Michigan teams have reached the finals of the National Debate Tournament; three other times the Michigan program was ranked #1 by an NDT ranking system, including the recent Michigan team of Scott Hessell and Corey Stoughton who won the Copeland Award as the outstanding team in the nation in 1997.
Since 1971, 31 Michigan teams have cleared at the NDT. 16 Michigan teams have received First Round At-Large Invitations to the NDT, and 17 debaters have won speaker awards at the NDT, including the Top Speaker, Matt Shors, in 1993.
In addition to our outstanding performances at the NDT, Michigan debate teams have won and received high speaker awards at all of the largest national tournaments, including: The University of Northern Iowa, The Kentucky Round Robin, Kentucky, Harvard, Wake Forest, The Redlands Round Robin, The Dartmouth Round Robin, and Northwestern.
Oftentimes, prospective debaters address concerns about balancing debate excellence with academic accomplishment. The Michigan Debate Team prides itself in the consistent academic accomplishments of all of its debaters. The large majority of Michigan's debaters have excelled academically. To travel a Michigan debater must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (one of the highest requirements in the nation). This success is reflected by their matriculation to the nation's leading law and graduate programs: Harvard Law; Yale Law; Stanford Law; Chicago Law; Michigan Law; Texas Law; Georgetown Law; Columbia International Relations; Berkeley Philosophy; and Berkeley Political Science.
Not only does the Michigan Debate Team pride itself in the academic success of its debaters, it also boasts one of the most diverse roster of successful debaters in the nation. Six women, Denise Loshbough (1989), Jennifer Ouding (1993), Ellen Oberwetter (1997), Corey Stoughton (1998), Lesley Wexler (1998) and Adriana Midence (2000) reached the elimination rounds of the NDT a combined 10 times. Four Hispanic students, Mike Dickler (1996), Jason Hernandez (1999), Gabriel Scannapieco (1999) and Adriana Midence (2000) have qualified for the elimination rounds of the NDT, a combined total of seven times. Currently, the University of Michigan debate team hopes to welcome students of all backgrounds and orientations.
Strong Program Support for Debaters
University of Michigan debaters receive instruction from a full-time head coach and at least one full-time assistant coach. All of these coaches devote their entire professional energies toward achieving the improvement of their debaters. We also have a team budget that offers complete payment of all debate-related expenses, both in Ann Arbor and during travel.
Employment Opportunities and Experience
The Michigan Debate Team operates some of the nation's most prestigious and successful institutes for high school students. Debaters at Michigan typically work as counselors and then ultimately as teachers at our workshops, offering valuable experience and income. Michigan workshops enroll about 400 high school students, from about 40 states, each summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
-Do I have to be a high school star to debate at Michigan?
Nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of our most successful debaters have been little known in high school. Our #1 goal is to help you achieve your potential. However, some experience in high school cross-examination (or policy) debate is probably important.
-Is it true that to debate at Michigan is a huge time commitment?
That's up to you. One of the guiding philosophies of our program is that hard work is its own reward. And it's probably fair to say that our reputation as a hard working debate program is well-founded. However, Michigan debaters still find time for extremely active social lives, and succeed academically as well. To be successful at any endevor a person must contribute substantial work. If you want to be a great debater that will require a committment to hard work. One non-negotiable requirement is making good grades. Nobody who debates for Michigan can travel unless they have above a 3.0 grade point average both cumulatively and also in any particular semester.
-Isn't the Michigan squad enormous, I'll never get to travel?
Now is a great time to start debating for Michigan. Next fall we will have extensive early opportunities for first-year debaters. We have a large budget to travel every debater to national-level tournaments. Our first-year debaters can travel from Harvard to California. However, travel is always determined by a combination of work ethic, talent, grades, and an ability to help the team excel.
-Now that I'm interested, what do I do?
You should contact Aaron Kall (akall@umich.edu) the Interim Director of the debate team. The most important thing you can do is to fill out the application to attend the University of Michigan (http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/applying/). The earlier you have an application in the system the more chance you have to be accepted. In addition, you should check your scores and grades against the grades and scores of the "average admittedstudent" and also check your high school records against the requirements for application.
(http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/prospectivefreshmen/requirements.php)
Generally the closer you are to the band of admission requirements the more likely we are to be able to help you gain admission.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of our most successful debaters have been little known in high school. Our #1 goal is to help you achieve your potential. However, some experience in high school cross-examination (or policy) debate is probably important.
-Is it true that to debate at Michigan is a huge time commitment?
That's up to you. One of the guiding philosophies of our program is that hard work is its own reward. And it's probably fair to say that our reputation as a hard working debate program is well-founded. However, Michigan debaters still find time for extremely active social lives, and succeed academically as well. To be successful at any endevor a person must contribute substantial work. If you want to be a great debater that will require a committment to hard work. One non-negotiable requirement is making good grades. Nobody who debates for Michigan can travel unless they have above a 3.0 grade point average both cumulatively and also in any particular semester.
-Isn't the Michigan squad enormous, I'll never get to travel?
Now is a great time to start debating for Michigan. Next fall we will have extensive early opportunities for first-year debaters. We have a large budget to travel every debater to national-level tournaments. Our first-year debaters can travel from Harvard to California. However, travel is always determined by a combination of work ethic, talent, grades, and an ability to help the team excel.
-Now that I'm interested, what do I do?
You should contact Aaron Kall (akall@umich.edu) the Interim Director of the debate team. The most important thing you can do is to fill out the application to attend the University of Michigan (http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/applying/). The earlier you have an application in the system the more chance you have to be accepted. In addition, you should check your scores and grades against the grades and scores of the "average admittedstudent" and also check your high school records against the requirements for application.
(http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/prospectivefreshmen/requirements.php)
Generally the closer you are to the band of admission requirements the more likely we are to be able to help you gain admission.
