The Concord Review (TCR) is the world’s only quarterly academic journal dedicated to publishing historical research papers written by secondary students. Founded in 1987, it is the ultimate benchmark for high school history scholars.
Is It Prestigious?
Extremely. With highly selective global submissions, publication in TCR is heavily respected by elite universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Top published authors also compete for the highly coveted Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize.
Eligibility: Who Can Submit?
- Grade: High school students globally (must complete the paper before enrolling in college).
- Authorship: You must be the sole author. Unoriginal work will be reported to your school.
- Language & Originality: Must be written in English and previously unpublished (except in a school publication).
The Requirements (How to “Win”)
TCR expects graduate-level rigor. To get published, your paper must meet strict criteria:
- Length: 5,000 to 10,000+ words (the average published paper is ~8,500 words).
- Citation Style: Turabian (Chicago) style with endnotes (Arabic numerals) and a bibliography. MLA format and footnotes are strictly rejected.
- Visuals: Text only. Remove all charts, photos, or graphs before submitting.
- File Type: Strictly MS Word or RTF (No PDFs or Google Docs).
- File Naming: Must be exactly: Firstname Lastname_First 3 Words of Title.docx.
How to Submit
TCR uses rolling admissions. Once submitted, your paper remains eligible for the next four issues.
- Apply Online: Go to tcr.org/submit and complete the “Author” application.
- Pay the Fee: Submit the non-refundable $70 submission fee to trigger the review process.
- Wait: If selected, you will be notified by letter the month before the issue is released.
(Note: TCR also runs the National Writing Board (NWB), a separate service where experts assess your paper against TCR standards and send a 3-4 page report directly to colleges for an additional fee. Submitting to the NWB is completely separate from submitting for publication.)
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