Competitive Debate Team
Argue both sides of complex issues competitively
Why It Matters
Extremely strong for law, political science, philosophy, and humanities programs. Competitive debate sharpens critical thinking, research skills, and oral communication in ways few other ECs do.
How to Start
Join your school's debate team or find a local league. In Ontario, the Ontario Student Debating Union (OSDU) runs tournaments across the province.
Commitment
- Medium commitment: a few hours most weeks during the school year.
- Best starting grade: G8
- G8 is ideal - you want 4+ years of competition history with progression through tournament levels.
Programs It Supports
- Law
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Humanities
- Business
Majors it supports
- Law (JD) – 3.7+ GPA and 160+ LSAT for top schools
- Political Science – high 70s to high 80s
- Philosophy – high 70s to high 80s
Universities where it fits
Our profiles for these schools suggest Competitive Debate Team as a good fit for their applicants.
- University of Toronto – Toronto, ON
- Queen's University – Kingston, ON
- University of Ottawa – Ottawa, ON
- Carleton University – Ottawa, ON
- McGill University – Montreal, QC
Similar extracurriculars
- Student Council – Represent and lead your school community
- Model United Nations (MUN) – Simulate UN committees and debate global issues
- Start a New School Club or Initiative – Identify a gap and build something from scratch
- City Youth Council or Advisory Board – Advise municipal government on youth issues
- Ontario Youth Parliament / Provincial Youth Parliament – Simulate provincial parliamentary democracy
- Peer Tutoring Coordinator – Organize and lead the school's peer tutoring program
- Morning Announcements Anchor / Producer – Run the daily broadcasts for the entire school
- Mental Health Awareness Week Chair – Organize workshops, speakers, and events focused on wellness
- Graduation / Prom Committee Chair – Plan the biggest and most expensive event of high school