We train future leaders.

The Cambridge Debate Institute (CDI) is a premier debate academy that gives gifted students the skills to become successful in life. Our students gain self-confidence and master public speaking, critical thinking, and leadership by working directly with the world’s best debate teachers, from universities like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.

Cambridge Debate Scholars is our selective flagship program that provides an accelerated and intensive seminar experience in debate.

Why do successful students need to learn debate?

COLLEGE admissions

Good GPA and test scores are no longer enough. Universities are looking for students with the communication and critical thinking skills to be future leaders. According to Yale Professor M. Luong, admissions directors are “relying more on success in extracurricular activities such as debate.” Our teachers, who attend schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, often cite debate as a primary reason for their admission.

SAT & ACT performance

To do well on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, students must demonstrate critical reading and writing skills, as well as “evidence-based argumentation” (The College Board). Through our debate training, students master college-level English and become proficient discussing topics commonly appearing on these tests. As a result, our students lead their peers by at least one year in English ability.

SUCCESS IN LIFE

Students gain self-confidence and learn to present themselves naturally in academic and professional environments. These skills help our alumni succeed in fields such as business, medicine, engineering, and government and allow them to pursue their dreams in an increasingly globalized world.

Applications are now open for the Cambridge Debate Scholars Program.

 
 

Meet Our Teachers

We have the highest standards for our teachers: they are the best in the world, bringing many years of experience to help our students excel.

Danny Debois – Harvard

Danny is the winner of the 2014 Tournament of Champions in Lincoln Douglas debate, as well as the Champion of Harvard (x2), the Glenbrooks Invitational, the Minneapple Invitational, and the NCFL Grand Nationals. He attended Harvard, where he was President of the Harvard debate team.

Nick Steele – Stanford

Nick is the 2016 Tournament of Champions in Lincoln Douglas debate. He has won or reached late elimination rounds of every major national tournament. He was an assistant coach at Harvard-Westlake and has coached several students to the TOC, including the champion of the Glenbrooks Invitational. He attended Stanford University.

T.J. Foley – Harvard

T.J. is three-time Iowa State Debate Champion. He has won or reached late elimination rounds of several major national tournaments, including qualifying to the Tournament of Champions. T.J. is the founder of an international non-profit focused on international youth empowerment. He studied Government at Harvard University.

Maya Razmi – Harvard

Maya attends Harvard University, where she competes with the Harvard College Debating Union, and was previously the Vice President of Membership. She made it to elimination rounds at the Worlds Universities Debating Championships in Korea and has broken at multiple international British Parliamentary debate tournaments. She has been involved both in drug delivery research at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and public policy research at the Kennedy School and School of Public Health. In her free time, she works at an international development non-profit based in Uganda.

Sasa Dlamini – Harvard

 Sasa graduated from Harvard College, concentrating in Social Studies, with a focus on Postcolonial and Critical Theory, two fields that allow him to look critically at the state of modern democracies in the emerging Third World. He has won debate tournaments in both the World Schools Debating and British Parliamentary formats. He has been actively coaching debate for the past 5 years, including serving as a coach for the South Africa national team.

Trent Gilbert – Stanford

Trent attended Stanford University, where he studied computer science and was a member of the Stanford Debate Society. He qualified to both NSDA Nationals and the Tournament of Champions three times and was champion/finalist at seven invitational tournaments. He has coached five students to qualify to the Tournament of Champions.

Henry Zhang – Yale

Henry was the President of the Yale Debate Association and Director of the Yale Summer Debate Program. He was U.S., North American, and Pan-American Champion, as well as a Grand Finalist at the World Universities Debating Championship. He has appeared on ABC national news as a commentator on the Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Nir Amin – Harvard

Nir is a debater with the Harvard College Debating Union, where he is currently a VP and debates in the British and American Parliamentary styles. He has previously coached BP and Mock Trials, but is excited to help you develop your argumentative abilities irrespective of your debate background! 

Jordan Farenhem – Yale

Jordan attended Yale University. He won or reached elimination rounds of every major national tournament he attended, including Crestian Tradition (champion), Crestian Round Robin (champion), Harvard, Emory, the Florida State Tournament, and the New York City Invitational. Jordan represents Yale competitively as a member of the Yale Debate Association.

Maia Decker – Yale

Maia studies English at Yale University. She attended high school in Missoula, Montana where she competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate for all four years. While in high school, she represented Montana at the NSDA National Tournament in 2018 and 2019 and was the 2nd highest ranked LD debater in the state. Now, she competes for the Yale Debate Association (YDA) in both American Parliamentary Debate (APDA) and British Parliamentary Debate (BP). She is the current Director of Development for the YDA and was the 9th Team of the Year for the 2022 APDA season. 

Outside of debate, Maia enjoys reading and writing. As a Montana resident, she loves being outdoors—particularly when hiking, trail running, and backpacking. She is particularly interested in popular culture, art, and literature debates while also appreciating the standard debate repertoire of philosophy, international and domestic politics, and development. Maia is excited to get started working with you to help you be the best debater you can be! 

Andy Wang – Harvard

Andy is the President of the Harvard College Debating Union. He was 2nd novice team in North America in British Parliamentary Debate, and placed top 20 at the North American Debate Championships. Andy has represented Harvard at the World Universities Debating Championship.

Alex Bavalsky – Yale

Alex is a prospective Ethics, Politics, & Economics major at Yale University. He has been competitively debating since 2016. In high school, he broke at national circuit tournaments like the Harvard and Newark Invitational and won the top novice team at the Lexington Invitational. After a brief period leading his Model UN team, he returned to debate at Yale, joining the Yale Debate Association and competing in American Parliamentary (APDA) and British Parliamentary (BP) tournaments around the Northeast. 

Alex also enjoys volunteering for debate organizations and sharing his passion with younger students. In high school, he volunteered as a judge for the New York City Urban Debate League, where he also competed; at Yale, he volunteers as a coach for the New Haven Urban Debate League, where he is also the treasurer. Other interests include hiking, photography, journaling, and playing tennis. Alex can’t wait to start working with you soon!

Want to learn from the best debate teachers in the world?
Applications are now open for the Cambridge Debate Scholars Program.

 
 

Cambridge Debate Institute Scholars Program

The Scholars Program is our flagship training program for students. Each year, we accept a group of students into an accelerated course of study in critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership with the world’s best teachers from Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.

The Scholars Program is modeled after the college seminar, which emphasizes student debate. It provides students with practical experience discussing contemporary topics, such as economics, law, philosophy, and business, and helps students stand out on admissions applications by demonstrating excellence in debate. As a result, admissions are selective and competitive. For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Questions? Please email us at team@CambridgeDebateInstitute.com or contact us here.

Session Details

Session Packages:

  • CDI Scholars Program & Immersive Drills (Bundled Package)

  • CDI Scholars Program

  • CDI Immersive Drills

Location: All classes take place in private online seminar rooms, using professional video conferencing software, allowing students to learn from the very best teachers anywhere in the world. You can read more about this improved educational model here.

Eligibility: We are primarily looking for intellectual curiosity and commitment. Previous debate experience is not required, and all classes are tailored to students.

Cambridge Debate Scholars Application

Applications are now open. Please fill out the form below to apply. Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis, so we recommend applying as soon as possible. We will notify you of your admissions decision within 1-2 business days.

Questions? Please contact us here, or email us at team@CambridgeDebateInstitute.com.

 

CDI Application Form

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What skills do students learn through the CDI Scholars Program?

  • Where do classes take place? What are the advantages of online classes?

  • What is a typical week of class like? What techniques and curriculum does CDI use to teach students?

What skills do students learn through the CDI Scholars Program?

We want to help students become successful in life, so we emphasize students’ self-confidence in addition to critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership skills. We provide a truly global education, with practical experience discussing topics such as economics, law, philosophy, and business. Students can directly apply their skills and experience to standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT, to education, or to future employment.

Where do classes take place? What are the advantages of online classes?

Our classes meet entirely online, using professional video conferencing software used by hundreds of organizations, including universities. Students only need access to a computer and headphones to fully participate in each class. We believe our online education model allows the most qualified instructors from universities like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford to teach students all around the world, rather than be limited by geography.

What is a typical week of class like? What techniques and curriculum does CDI use to teach students?

Our teachers hand-select customized debate topics for students to prepare and discuss. Topics are often chosen from current events and cover economics, law, philosophy, and business. The Scholars Program is based on the college seminar model, which emphasizes debate and believes students learn best through continuous practice. Thus, every class session focuses on challenging discussions and exercises facilitated by a top teacher. Teachers listen to students' points and review their written to work to give them a detailed critique.

Some of our past class topics have included:

  • Do individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need?

  • Should direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections?

  • Should the United States ought to guarantee universal health care for its citizens?

  • Is standardized testing is beneficial to K-12 education in the U.S?

  • Should developing countries should prioritize environmental protection over resource extraction when the two are in conflict?

  • Should government should prioritize the humanitarian needs of refugees over its national interests?

Applications are now open for the Cambridge Debate Scholars Program. 

 
 

 

Contact Us

We are always happy to receive your questions or comments. Our team will respond promptly within 3 business days. We can also be reached directly at team@CambridgeDebateInstitute.com.

 

Reach out to us