Congressional Debate Coaching

Embrace the
Winning Way.

Sandel Academy is personally run by Quest Sandel — the winningest Congressional Debate coach in the United States. Elite mentorship, elite results.

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Winningest CD Coach in the US

About the Program

More than
just coaching.

Sandel Academy is personally run by Ascend CEO and Co-Founder Quest Sandel — a coach who has produced the 2019 & 2023 NSDA Senate National Champions, three Tournament of Champions winners, and California State Champions from 2021 through 2025.

Quest partners with elite alumni coaches — Tyler Luu, Joseph Maucieri, Aditya Chordiya, Charlie Gu, Adrian Baek, Emily Donaldson, and Vincent Nguyen — to give every student a coaching experience tailored to their personality and goals.

20 Group Sessions

Monthly group coaching every week of the season

1-on-1 Mentorship

Personalized sessions matched to your strengths

Unlimited Prep Review

Submit your work and get detailed feedback anytime

Tournament Coaching

On-site coaching available at select national tournaments

Apply for a Seat

The Process

How it works.

Apply

Submit your application online

Get Matched

Paired with a coach for your goals

Train

Weekly sessions, unlimited prep review

Compete

On-site coaching at nationals

Win

Achieve elite results on the circuit

Hear from Quest

Learn More About
Sandel Academy

Quest walks through how Sandel Academy works, what students get out of the program, and why our approach consistently produces elite results.

Student Stories

What our students say.

Quest has quite literally changed my life. He teaches so much more than just how to succeed in Congressional Debate — coaching with Quest has helped me learn numerous life lessons that have empowered and inspired me to become the person that I am today.

— Aditya Chordiya

Quest's coaching has quite literally transformed not just my debate career, but my entire life. These lessons changed my life far beyond debate, propelling me to academic heights including acceptances to Harvard and Stanford.

— Adrian Baek, Stanford University

Meeting Quest was singlehandedly the best thing to happen to my debate career. I went from struggling to break out of semifinal rounds to winning national tournaments and being the 2nd-ranked debater in the entire nation.

— Charlie Gu

Working with Quest completely changed the trajectory of my debate career, and honestly, my life. The skills I built under his coaching were instrumental in helping me get into Yale, and later, medical school.

— Rohit Jhawar, Yale University & Medical School

As a female in debate, I often felt like I had to fight twice as hard to be heard in a round. Quest always treated me like a champion in the making. His belief in his students, especially young women, is transformative.

— Divya Kukreja

Common Questions

Frequently asked.

Sandel Academy is for competitive Congressional Debate students who are serious about improving and want elite-level coaching. Whether you're a beginner looking to break or a veteran chasing a national title, our coaches tailor the experience to your level.

Each month includes 20+ group coaching sessions, unlimited written prep review and feedback, 1-on-1 mentorship with your assigned coach, and on-site coaching at select national tournaments during the competitive season.

Group sessions and 1-on-1 mentorship are conducted online, making the program accessible to students nationwide. Tournament coaching is provided in-person at select national invitationals and championship events.

Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are currently open. Seats are limited and fill quickly, so we encourage you to apply early. We review applications on a rolling basis.

Ascend Academy offers free group coaching open to all students. Sandel Academy is a premium, invite-based program with smaller cohorts, dedicated 1-on-1 mentorship, and direct personal oversight from Quest Sandel.

Embrace the Winning Way.

More thanjust coaching.