Why debate matters for studies in US colleges

Liang Xiao says debate changed her life.

"If I had not participated in debates, I would probably be a biology major just like my parents, which would be fascinating in its own right but a necessarily different path," says the 20-year-old sophomore at Wellesley College in the United States.

Three years ago, Liang studied in a high school in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province. She views herself as a well-rounded student, who was good at most of the subjects but didn't feel passion for any one in particular.