How do you get published in The Concord Review? Write a long, original history research paper before you finish high school, usually 5,000 to 10,000 words or more with Chicago style endnotes and a substantial bibliography, then submit it online with the $70 fee; the journal publishes about 5% of the essays it receives, and published authors become eligible for the $1,000 Emerson Prize.
This guide is written by YRI Fellowship, a research mentorship program. Every fact about The Concord Review below comes from tcr.org as of November 2026, and the exact pages are linked in the Sources section.
What The Concord Review is
The Concord Review, often shortened to TCR, is a quarterly journal that publishes history research papers written by secondary school students. It describes itself as the only quarterly journal in the world to publish the academic research papers of secondary students. It has been running since 1987, and it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Massachusetts. The founder and editor is Will Fitzhugh, and the current editor for essay content is Robert Nasson.
Two points matter for families from the start:
- It is a journal, not a contest. TCR says this directly. Papers are reviewed on a rolling basis and published when they are selected. There is no ranking or shortlist.
- It is history only. Any period and any place is welcome, ancient or modern, domestic or foreign. Papers in science, economics or psychology belong somewhere else.
TCR also runs related programs, including the National Writing Board, which assesses papers against an academic writing standard as a separate submission, a TCR History Camp, and TCR Academic Coaches. This guide covers the journal itself.
Who can submit
The eligibility rules are short:
- The paper must be completed before the student finishes secondary school, and the student must not yet be enrolled in a college or university.
- The student must be the sole author. TCR warns that if a paper turns out not to be original, it will notify the school, which can lead to withdrawn college admissions.
- The paper must be in English and must not have been published before, except in a publication of the student's own school.
- Public, private and home school students in the US and abroad are all eligible. TCR has published essays from 46 countries.
- Papers written during an independent study are welcome, and so are papers on topics TCR has already published.
Length and format rules
TCR is strict about format, and a paper that ignores these rules starts at a disadvantage.
| Rule | What tcr.org says |
|---|---|
| Length | 5,000 to 10,000 words or more; the average published paper is over 8,000 words |
| Word count | Includes endnotes and bibliography |
| Shorter papers | Under 4,000 words is allowed, but competes with longer papers |
| Citations | Turabian (Chicago) endnotes and bibliography; no footnotes, no MLA |
| Endnote numbers | Arabic numerals only, each endnote ends with a period |
| Bibliography | Only sources you cite in the paper |
| Graphics | No charts, photos or graphs; remove them before submitting |
| File type | MS Word or RTF only; no Pages, Google Docs or PDF |
| Font | One font family throughout |
| File name | First and last name, an underscore, then the first three words of the title |
TCR has published papers under 4,000 words and papers of 21,000 words, but the average is about 8,500. If citations are new to your student, start with our guide on how to cite sources, and set it to Chicago notes and bibliography from day one.
The Concord Review submission fee
Each essay requires a submission fee, paid when the student creates an Author membership on tcr.org. The membership includes a one-year subscription to the journal.
| Option on the submission form | Listed price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Author, eBook | $90 | Essay submission plus one year of the eBook edition |
| Author, Print US | $120 | Essay submission plus one year of the print edition, shipped in the US |
| Author, Print International | $150 | Essay submission plus one year of the print edition, shipped abroad |
TCR's FAQ describes the fee for each essay as $70, and that figure is what returning authors are billed for each new essay. The form lists the first-time memberships at the prices above. Check the submit page for the current amount before paying. Teachers can pay for a group of students by invoice or check, and residents of Singapore can only pay by check.
Deadlines and review timeline
TCR accepts papers on a rolling basis. Each paper is eligible for the next three issues, and these dates decide which issue it is first considered for.
| Issue | Submission deadline | Issue arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | November 1 | March |
| Summer | February 1 | June |
| Fall | May 1 | September |
| Winter | August 1 | December |
All deadlines are 11:59 pm Eastern time. For a student finishing a paper this winter, the next date is February 1, 2027 for the Summer 2027 issue.
The review timeline works like this: if a paper is selected, the author receives a letter the month before the issue comes out. If it is not selected for the next issue, the author hears nothing, and the paper stays eligible for the following issues. In practice, a submission is under consideration for roughly three issues, about nine months. TCR does not publish a fixed review period beyond that.
The Concord Review acceptance rate
TCR says it publishes about 5% of the essays it receives. That is the only official figure, and it is stated on both the submit page and the FAQ. TCR does not publish how many essays it receives each year.
One useful detail for college applicants: TCR suggests that students who have submitted but not yet heard back list the submission on their college application, with the title and length of the paper, and note that it is still under consideration.
The Emerson Prize and the Fitzhugh Prize
The Emerson Prize is awarded each year to students published in The Concord Review during the previous academic year who show outstanding promise in history at the high school level. Each recipient receives $1,000. More than 250 students have won it since 1995. The most recent announcement, for Volume 36, named 11 recipients, with papers from the Fall 2025 through Summer 2026 issues.
The Fitzhugh Prize, named for the founder, is a single $5,000 award, now in its sixth year.
| Prize | Amount | Who is eligible |
|---|---|---|
| Emerson Prize | $1,000 each | Students published in TCR in the previous academic year |
| Fitzhugh Prize | $5,000, one recipient | Chosen from published TCR authors |
There is no separate application for either prize. Publication in the journal is the entry. The latest topics show how wide the range is: Puritan economic theology, the Marshall Plan, the Dust Bowl, Camp David and the history of Esperanto. Several recent recipients list Stanford, Oxford or the University of Chicago as their college.
What gets accepted
TCR says there is no set formula, but it names three things it looks for:
It also advises considerable reading on the topic and at least one full draft before polishing. Its guideline for students on the fence is "When in doubt, send it in."
Reading published papers is the best preparation. TCR posts sample essays and an issue index on its site. Our guide to high school research paper examples covers how to read a model paper for structure.
How to prepare a Concord Review paper
A paper of this length usually takes a full semester or a summer. A workable plan:
The odds, frankly
At about 5%, The Concord Review is very selective, and the competition is international. Most submitted papers are not published. That does not make the work wasted: an 8,000 word, well-sourced history paper is strong evidence of academic ability on its own, it can go to the National Writing Board for an independent assessment, and it can support a humanities supplement or interview. Families should plan for a paper that is worth writing whether or not it is selected.
If your student's interest goes beyond a history essay
TCR is the right venue for one specific thing: a long history paper. Many students who are drawn to it have interests that run wider, into psychology, economics, public policy, education, linguistics or data-driven social science. Those papers need a different kind of venue, often a peer-reviewed journal or conference, and a different method, usually one with data, a model or an experiment.
That is what the YRI Fellowship is built for. Students work 1:1 with a PhD mentor for 10 weeks, and YRI mentors students in the humanities and social sciences as well as STEM. The student is first author on an original paper submitted to a peer-reviewed IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venue, with ISEF and JSHS preparation included and a letter of recommendation from the mentor. Mentorship continues at no extra cost until the paper is published. 87% of Fellows publish. The program is $2,997, with a 3-month payment plan and case-by-case scholarships.
A student can do both. A TCR paper builds the reading and writing discipline, and a Fellowship paper adds a peer-reviewed, first-author publication in the field the student wants to study. See our list of journals that publish high school research for how the options compare, and our guide on writing about research in Common App essays for how either one shows up in an application.
Download the YRI Fellowship brochure
The program, the outcomes, the mentors and the tuition, in one PDF you can read with your family.
Related guides
- Journals that publish high school research
- How to publish a research paper in high school
- How to write a literature review
- How to cite sources
- Fellowships for high school students
- Writing about research in Common App essays
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Concord Review acceptance rate?
The Concord Review says it publishes about 5% of the essays it receives. It does not publish the number of submissions per year.
How much is the Concord Review submission fee?
TCR's FAQ lists a $70 fee for each essay. On the submission form, first-time Author memberships are listed at $90 for the eBook option, $120 for print in the US and $150 for print abroad, each with a one-year subscription.
How long should a Concord Review essay be?
TCR asks for 5,000 to 10,000 words or more, counting endnotes and bibliography. The average published paper is over 8,000 words, and papers under 4,000 words are accepted for review but compete with longer ones.
What citation style does The Concord Review use?
Turabian (Chicago) endnotes and bibliography. TCR does not accept footnotes or MLA style.
When will I hear back from The Concord Review?
Only if the paper is selected. Authors are notified by letter the month before the issue appears, and each paper stays eligible for the next three issues. If the paper is not chosen, there is no notice.
What is the Emerson Prize?
An annual $1,000 award to students published in The Concord Review in the previous academic year who show outstanding promise in history. More than 250 students have won since 1995, and there is no separate application.
Can I submit a non-history paper to The Concord Review?
No. TCR publishes history papers only, on any period or region. Research in science, social science or other humanities fields needs a different journal.
What should I do if my research interest is not history?
Look at peer-reviewed venues in your field and get a mentor who publishes there. The YRI Fellowship pairs students 1:1 with a PhD mentor in STEM, the humanities or the social sciences, aimed at a first-author paper submitted to an IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venue, and 87% of Fellows publish. Applying takes 10 minutes and there is no fee.
Sources
- The Concord Review: homepage (quarterly journal, National Writing Board, programs)
- The Concord Review: Submit (essay requirements, length, format, membership prices, acceptance procedure, 5% figure, 46 countries)
- The Concord Review: FAQ, Submitting papers to TCR (eligibility, $70 fee, deadlines, notification, not a contest)
- The Concord Review: The Emerson Prize and Fitzhugh Prize (amounts, recipients since 1995, Volume 36)