內向而優秀的小中男如何破局？

申請好大學， 小中難， 小中男更難。很多華人父母心裡著急，卻無從下手，趕著娃做這個，做那個，  娃累，父母更累，效果卻不明顯。怎麼辦？ 我從一個父母的角度談一些我們育娃的親身經歷。
和很多華人孩子一樣，男娃從小懂事但是性格內向。印象中很深刻的兩件事情，小學的時候，有一次我參加娃班裡的一堂課程，老師提問，我在旁邊示意他回答，他因為膽怯而沒有舉手，讓我頗感失望。還有一次，初中的時候，小區里很多同齡小朋友在我們家門口party, 我想讓他去參加，也認識一些朋友， 他不願意出去，再說他，他甚至要哭了。當時的我對娃有深深的憂慮。
但是娃有一個優點，就是敢於嘗試，敢於挑戰自己。高中的時候，他參加了辯論隊， 當時我們都很詫異。9年級剛開始的時候，有半年的時間， 娃是輸多贏少，  但是辯論快一年的時候，娃摸到了門道， 開始進入角色。10年級開始，娃開始和比自己高年級的同學同台競技，而且不落下風，11年級開始展露頭角，直到在全國冠軍杯辯論大賽奪冠。
娃在辯論上的成績極大的增加了他的信心。娃後來參加了州內的高中生商業創意大賽，並連續兩年奪得冠軍。 記得娃第一次奪冠的時候，州內排名最高的高中是得了第二名， 他們的帶隊老師覺得不可思議，要去judge那裡appeal。 因為他們高中有最好的教練和資源，而娃什麼都是要靠自己。我問娃怎麼贏的， 娃說我練過辯論。
娃申請大學的時候，因為他們的那個program比較特殊，當地沒有什麼校友， 面試的時候， 學校找了一個老印的CEO過來Zoom面試娃。 老印面試小中男，結局大家可想而知。娃沉著冷靜，和老印侃侃而談了一個多小時，老印最後說了一句話 "I am really, really impressed"。
娃後來被一個辯論俱樂部 （debate club）聘請為專職教練，另外也有不少學生課外找他跟他學習辯論， 娃似乎很適合當debate coach, 他已經有好幾個學生在辯論上取得了不俗的成績，有的曾經得榮獲 Harvard debate invitational 的 top 4 和 Yale debate invitational 的 top 4的好名次。而且， 娃也很驚喜的看到他的學生今年大學申請取得的可喜的成績，錄取的學校已經有 Harvard, Princeton， Duke, 和 Cornell了.
小中男普遍優秀，但是絕大多數缺乏外在表現力，關鍵時刻， 不敢， 或者不善於表達自己，從而失去很多機會， 無論是在學習還是在工作上。不是說小中男不具備這些能力，而是缺少訓練。 學習辯論是一個有效的建立自信和提高公眾演講能力的方式。你想讓你的孩子變得自信嗎？你想讓你的孩子在面試的時候迅速獲得面試官的好感嗎？你想讓你的孩子在大廳里對著幾百上千的聽眾侃侃而談嗎？  如果是，我推薦你們參考一下以下的一個的debate camp。最優秀的辯論教練，最好的藤校朋友圈，免費雙語諮詢， 一定會有驚喜， 一定會有收穫。

Studies consistently reveal that students engaged in debate not only experience a 36% boost in standardized testing scores but are also 7 times more likely to secure admission to an Ivy League university.


If you're interested in getting your child involved in debate, check out Libertas Debate Academy: a premier online debate camp from June 24th to July 8th tailored towards coaching students to excel at national tournaments like Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. Our camp warmly welcomes kids of varying experience levels, ranging from absolute beginners to seasoned national debaters.



Many parents often ask me what makes Libertas Debate so unique. Here』s my answer:

National Debate Champions: We are the only debate camp in the world that ensures every instructor is a USA National Debate Champion, with our coaches winning tournaments like NSDA Nationals, Stanford, Columbia, and the Tournament of Champions (over 28 national championships in total). Each student is guaranteed to work 1-on-1 with a national champion to hone their critical thinking and persuasive communication skills.

Accessibility: Debate is widely expensive, and current debate camps charge their students over $3,500. We aim to offer superior levels of teaching at a cost over $2,000 cheaper than alternatives. During our two-week camp session, students will gain over 100 hours of personalized coaching from the best debaters in the country for a fraction of the price.

Sculpting Leadership in Debate: Unlike other debate programs, beyond teaching students how to win tournaments, we also emphasize the importance of becoming leaders in the community. Every instructor has extensive experience leading 501(c)(3) nonprofits in debate, impacting tens of hundreds of debaters worldwide while getting acceptances to top universities like Harvard, Yale, Duke, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. We aim to teach students how they can leverage debate to gain leadership and create impact, making long-lasting strides for future college applications.



If you』re at all interested, please register by clicking on this link. Current tuition is $1,399 with a $100 early bird discount for those who register by January 15th. Our spots are filling up incredibly fast, and I would love to see your child attend this summer! Additionally, if you ever wish to schedule a quick 20 minute phone call with me to ask further questions, please do so here - I would love to chat!


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William Hong
Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology (M&T) | University of Pennsylvania '27
The Wharton School | School of Engineering and Applied Science
hongwil&wharton.upenn.edu | (615) 892-Eight991