The Concord Review
The only journal in the world that publishes academic history papers by secondary students.
Run by The Concord Review
Key facts
- Eligible grades
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Not confirmed. Check the organiser's rules before entering.The Concord Review publishes the academic work of secondary school students of history writing in English. It does not publish a numbered grade range on the pages checked.
- Recommended preparation
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A research essay with endnotes and a bibliography, at a standard close to undergraduate work
Why: The journal publishes secondary school history research, and submissions must include endnotes and a bibliography in a single file.Based on the standard of work the organiser describes.This is Compete's reading of the competition's documented content, not a requirement stated by the organiser. You may enter without it.
- Compete guidance, not an eligibility restriction. Students outside this are still eligible if the official eligibility above allows them.
- Eligible ages
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Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.No age limits are published.
- Individual or team
- Individual
- Where it runs
- Online · International
- Entry cost
- A submission fee, historically around $70, which includes a subscriptionA submission fee is required and is paid after completing the online form. The amount was not visible on the pages checked. Every author who submits and pays receives the next four issues in eBook form; the Print Edition costs an additional $30 plus shipping. The separate National Writing Board evaluation service has its own fee, reported at $100.
- Registration deadline
- Four rolling deadlines, one per quarterly issue. For the Summer issue, 1 February at 11:59 p.m. EST. For the Fall issue, 1 May at 11:59 p.m. EDT. For the Winter issue, 1 August at 11:59 p.m. EDT. For the Spring issue, 1 November at 11:59 p.m. EST. 53 days leftThese deadlines are for consideration in a specific issue, not a cut-off: an essay remains eligible for the next three issues after submission, so missing one cycle does not end its chances.
- Competition dates
- Quarterly issues published through the year.
- Difficulty
- Highly competitiveNational-level field. Expect months of structured work, and usually a coach or a strong team.
- Prizes
- The Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize, worth about $3,000, is awarded annually to a small number of students already published in the journal. There is no separate application: publication makes an essay automatically eligible.The primary reward is publication in a journal that university admissions offices recognise. The Emerson Prize is awarded annually to a small number of published authors and carries a cash award.
What The Concord Review is
The Concord Review has published serious history research essays by secondary school students since 1987. It is not a contest in the usual sense: you submit a long academic history paper, and if the editor accepts it, it is published in a quarterly journal that university admissions offices genuinely recognise. Acceptance rates are low and the standard is close to undergraduate.
How the competition works
A research essay on any historical topic, ancient or modern, domestic or foreign, with endnotes and bibliography included at the end of a single uploaded file. Acceptance is on a rolling basis, and authors whose essays will be published are notified by letter the month before publication. Issues appear in September, December, March and June.
Eligibility notes
Open to secondary students worldwide. Papers must be written while you are still in secondary school.
Is The Concord Review right for you?
- Experience needed
- Advanced. This is the most demanding writing task in this directory and the standard approaches undergraduate work.
- Time commitment
- Months. A serious paper is a term-long or year-long project.
- What you actually do
- You research an original history topic using primary sources, and write a long academic essay with full scholarly apparatus. There is no performance, presentation or judging event; there is only the paper.
A good fit if
- You already write long history essays and enjoy archival work
- You want a credential that admissions offices recognise
- You are prepared for a low acceptance rate
Probably not for you if
- Students who have not written a substantial research paper before
- Students who want fast feedback, since review takes time
Common mistakes
- Submitting a school assignment lightly revised. The standard is considerably higher and editors see many such papers.
- Thin primary sourcing. Papers built from secondary summaries are the most common rejection.
- Ignoring the citation conventions, which are strict and are part of the assessment.
How to register
- Read several published papers first. They are available through the journal and they set the standard clearly.
- Write a history research paper with primary sources, full endnotes and a proper bibliography. Length is typically 5,000 to 10,000 words.
- Submit through the official site with the submission fee.
- Papers are reviewed on a rolling basis against quarterly issue deadlines.
What skills you need
- Historical research using primary sources
- Long-form academic writing
- Citation and endnoting
- Argument construction sustained over thousands of words
Recommended resources
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The Concord Review
Submission guidelines, fees, and information about published papers and the Emerson Prize.
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Library of Congress digital collections
Free primary source archives, essential for the kind of sourcing the journal expects.
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Chronicling America historic newspapers
Free searchable newspaper archive, an outstanding primary source for many topics.
Past problems and materials
Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.
- Published papers
Past issues show the expected standard. Reading three before you start is the most useful preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a competition?
Not in the usual sense. You submit a paper and it is either accepted for publication or not. There is no ranking, no event, and no scoring rubric. The Emerson Prize, awarded annually to a few published authors, is the competitive element.
Why does it cost money to submit?
The Concord Review is a small independent journal funded partly by submission fees, which have historically included a subscription. Fee assistance has been available, so ask if the cost is a barrier.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
Posts are public. Do not share your full name, school, address or contact details.
Something out of date?
If a deadline, fee or eligibility rule on this page no longer matches the official site, flag it and it goes into the review queue.
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