Emory University's Debate Workshops for Middle School Students - Should You Apply?
If you’re a middle schooler passionate about debate and are looking for programs to improve your communication skills, we’ve got you covered!
Debate and public speaking programs are enriching opportunities that will allow you to learn how to communicate better and craft compelling arguments. However, the benefits go beyond the domain of communication. Such programs can also enhance your critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills, all of which will be advantageous in any field you decide to pursue.
For younger middle school students, debate programs can even hone your confidence and leadership qualities. All of these traits only serve to enhance your profile which can help you plan your high school trajectory.
One such program is Emory University’s debate workshops for middle school students. In this blog, we’ll discuss this program in detail and weigh its pros and cons to help you decide if this is a good fit for you!
What are Emory University's debate workshops all about?
Emory University offers debate workshops for middle school students through the Barkley Forum, providing students with opportunities to develop their debate skills and engage in argumentation. These one-week workshops offer programs tailored to different experience levels that focus on competitive debate or broader debate skills. These workshops will allow middle schoolers to work in close quarters with Emory University’s debate staff and college debate team members to learn the finer points of debate.
How are Emory University's debate workshops for middle school students structured?
Emory University’s debate workshops for middle school students are organized by the Atlanta Urban Debate League. The workshops take place at Emory University, Atlanta, GA as one-week camps. For 2024, the camp options were as follows:
Session 1: July 8–July 12, 2024
Session 2: July 15–July 19, 2024
This is a commuter program and students are expected to be on campus from 8.30 am to 2.45 pm. The students can only attend one session as the curriculum is identical for both sessions. The program’s curriculum includes the following:
Daily lab instruction where you will learn the basics of policy debate and engage in skill-building exercises
Larger group sessions for lectures, discussions, and analyzing the topic of the year
Practice tournaments where you can rehearse your arguments
All students will learn foundational debate skills like the various parts of an argument, strategically choosing arguments, asking and answering questions, evidence comparison, and more.
Advanced students will learn about more complex concepts like counterplan structure, Kritik structure, and research literacy skills. Advanced middle school students are students who have experience debating at AUDL middle school tournaments for at least one season. You can see more about the curriculum and who qualifies as an advanced student here.
Who is eligible?
Any rising 6th to 8th graders can apply for Emory University’s summer debate workshops. The applications typically open in early February and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so it’s best to apply early for this one. The applications for the 2024 sessions opened on February 8.
How much do they cost?
There is a cost to attend the debate workshops. Unfortunately, there is no information currently available regarding the exact amount. You can keep an eye out on the website though and more information about the fees should be released around the time that applications open.
Is it prestigious?
Yes, the Emory University debate workshop for middle school students is a prestigious program. This is largely due to the host university as Emory is a highly respected institution known for its high standard of academic excellence. As of 2024, Emory University is ranked 24th out of 439 National Universities in the United States, boasting an acceptance rate of 11% for its undergraduate courses. This by itself gives the summer programs a relatively higher value in the academic sphere. Additionally, the program itself is a well-reputed one within the debate community and the university also boasts a track record of success in collegiate debate competitions.
Pros and Cons
Pros
You will get to experience high-quality learning: You'll receive top-notch instruction from experienced debaters and coaches and learn all the fundamentals of debate and public speaking.
You will boost your academic profile: The favorable reputation of Emory University coupled with the selectivity of its summer programs makes this a prestigious program to have on your academic profile. It will prove your caliber, help you structure your extracurriculars in high school, and improve your chances during the college application process.
This is an inclusive program: Whether you're new to debate or have some experience, the program is open to and designed to help all students.
You will gain transferable skills: Apart from improving your debate and public speaking skills, you will also gain valuable skills like critical thinking, data analysis, and research that are useful in any area you decide to pursue.
You will have many networking opportunities: This program will allow you to meet like-minded peers as well as connect with professors and professionals in the field, which could lead to valuable support in the future.
Cons
You may find the application process highly competitive: Admission to this program can be highly competitive, making it challenging and time-consuming to go through the application process.
You might have to incur additional travel expenses: Since there's no residential option, you will need to commute to the workshops, making this only suitable for students who live relatively closer to Emory University.
You will have limited options to explore new avenues: This program focuses on offering only debate and communication skills to the students. This makes the program suitable for students with a clear goal in mind, but if you want to explore other options it might be wise to look for programs that expose you to multiple fields.
Our Review – Should you apply?
Emory University’s debate workshop is a highly reputed debate program that offers high-quality learning opportunities and whose prestige can enhance your academic profile. It is an ideal option for students who are passionate about debate or looking to develop their public speaking abilities. Moreover, the skills learned—such as critical thinking, research, and effective communication—are valuable and transferable to many areas of life.
However, the competitive admission process can be a deterrent and the commuter format of the program means that it is suitable only for those who live near the university. Additionally, this program may not be ideal for students who are set on a specialized career path, for example, a niche STEM field. In this case, the focus on debate and public speaking might not align with their specific interests. Ultimately, you must consider your goals and interests to decide whether this program is a good fit for you or not.
One more option - The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website. Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.