The Concord Review: Full Guide and How to Get Published
Co-authored by:
Academic Mentor | Writer | Researcher in Comparative Literature, Literacy, and Communication
by
Indigo Research Team
Published:
July 12, 2024
Last Updated:
June 27, 2025
For high-school students who love history, it is an outstanding achievement to have their work published in The Concord Review. This journal has a 5% acceptance rate and is known for fostering academic excellence in history, thus providing a platform for students to display their research skills and knowledge.
There are other advantages that come along with having an article published in this journal, such as receiving early recognition for one’s research skills, becoming a published author, standing out during university admissions, and having a better chance of winning scholarships.
If you are hearing about this for the first time or perhaps have been trying without much success, do not worry. This article covers everything there is to know about getting published in The Concord Review.
Founded by high school teacher Will Fitzhugh in 1987, The Concord Review is a quarterly academic journal specializing in history research papers by high school students It is the only publication specifically dedicated to showcasing exceptional history work produced at the secondary level.
The articles in The Concord Review address historical issues from original standpoints and support their arguments through rigorous research. A distinguishing feature of the articles in this journal is their length. Most journals and essay competitions for high school students have strict word counts, which typically range from 2,000 to 5,000 words. The Concorde Review has a degree of flexibility as far as length goes, but its articles are much longer. The 2025 submission guidelines state that papers should be in the 5,000-10,000 (or more) word range. The average paper is 8,000 words, but they have also published papers of 15,000 words.
These word counts align with those of the journal articles by professionals and established academics; the principle behind this flexible but longer word count is to free students from the constraints of high school study and prepare them for the standards of selective colleges and universities since these highly value the capability of conducting extended research and writing pieces that re longer than the standard high school essay. .
Start by selecting a topic that genuinely interests you. Your enthusiasm will shine through in your writing and keep you motivated.
For your paper to be outstanding, you should strive to make an original contribution to historical research. You can do this by finding a unique angle from which to approach your chosen topic or by focusing on overlooked aspects of a widely researched matter.
For instance, suppose you want to write about the American Civil War. A detailed summary or description of the War, however well written, will not be enough to be selected for publication. Instead, you should choose a specific aspect of the War, such as the part that spying and intelligence played in the Union Army. You can then narrow this aspect further by, say, focusing on the female spy rather than the male ones.
Ensure there are enough primary and secondary sources available for your topic by conducting a preliminary search. A well-researched paper relies upon trustworthy evidence to support its arguments and analyses. If they are available, begin by identifying primary sources such as letters, diaries, official records, pictures and newspaper articles. These sources provide accounts of historical events from people who may have witnessed them, hence offering important perspectives on your topic. Next, find secondary materials such as scholarly articles, books, or reliable websites. These often provide analyses of primary sources as well as further viewpoints to compare and analyse. Moreover, they will show you how to write about history like a historian.
Get into the habit of using the resources found in your school library, which are likely to include academic databases, e.g., JSTOR and Project MUSE. Regarding search engines, Google Scholar is by far preferable to other search engines since its results provide peer-reviewed articles and other trusted scholarly works. Your school librarians may be able to recommend more sources and databases related to your topic.
Make sure you stay organized during research and take good notes. Keep track of where your information comes from so that you can cite it at the end. As mentioned earlier, essays should be between 5,000 and 10,000 words. As far as referencing style goes, Chicago-style endnotes and a bibliography are required by the editorial board. You should aim for at least 10 sources. It is worth remembering that the submission should be made in Word doc or RTF format (not Google Docs or PDF) and that The Concord Review does not publish images (e.g., charts, photos, graphs); these should be removed before submission.
The Concord Review is published four times a year: in September, December, March, and June. They welcome submissions at any time of year, and an essay will be considered for at least the following four publications. Notifications will be sent out a month before the publishing date if selected. To submit, you must create an author account, which carries a $70 fee. This payment also includes access to essays from previous years.
If you intend to use the article to enhance your college application, the sooner you submit your article, the better. The turnaround time of academic journals can be very long, oftentimes about six months. For instance, if you are to join a college in January, ensure it is ready by 1st February of the previous year for it to be considered for summer, autumn or even winter editions. It is also possible to present more than one paper over the years in high school.
Writing clearly is very important for presenting your ideas effectively. Here are some tips. :
Several students who were published in The Concord Review went on to have successful careers as experts in their field. Their experiences before and after getting published in the Concord Review speak of its life-changing nature.
Evan Luo's essay "Caesar's Civil War" appeared in The Concord Review in Spring 2023. Evan analyzed the political and military strategies used during Caesar's civil war. His Classics teacher, Dr. Toomey, played a key role in Evan’s success since he had read his drafts and expressed enthusiasm about his work. Dr. Toomey’s feedback motivated him to expand his horizons and to submit to The Concord Review.
Evan is now the author of a full-length book titled A Companion to the Greco-Roman World, which examines many aspects of Greek and Roman history from the fall of Athenian democracy to Caesar’s decision to cross the Rubicon River.
Learn more about Evan Luo's journey.
The essay titled "Ploughshares into Swords: Did the German Industrial Phoenix Push Wilhelm II Towards Reckless Ambition?" by Tamás Vonyó was published in The Concord Review's Summer 1999.
At the time, Tamás was a student at Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. The publication in The Concord Review motivated him to study history at university and to keep publishing. By the time he finished university, he had published two articles in top journals and secured a contract for his first book.
Tamás went from strength to strength. He was awarded a full scholarship for an MPhil and then a PhD in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford. His MA thesis k in German economic history was awarded the prestigious Feinstein Prize in 2008, and his PhD won the prize of the International Economic History Association.
Dr. Vonyó's academic journey took him to the London School of Economics and Bocconi University in Milan, where he is now an associate professor with tenure. He is the author of several articles in leading journals of economic history and of a monograph published by Cambridge University Press and endorsed by Barry Eichengreen, a high-profile historian.
Learn more about Dr. Tamás Vonyó's achievements at The Concord Review.
To be published in The Concord Review is a great accomplishment and can open up many opportunities. Always remember that a commitment to reading trustworthy sources, clear writing, and careful editing is essential.
If you are interested in doing research, consider joining Indigo Research’s programs. At Indigo, we help high school students create publishable research papers that fulfill The Concord Review standards! If this journal is your goal, let us help you pave the way.
Getting published in The Concord Review is a prestigious achievement for any high school student, and Indigo Research can help you reach that goal. With our expert mentorship, you’ll gain the skills and guidance needed to produce high-quality, publishable research. Our program connects you with top professors and provides the resources to excel in your academic pursuits.
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Getting published in The Concord Review is a prestigious achievement for any high school student, and Indigo Research can help you reach that goal. With our expert mentorship, you’ll gain the skills and guidance needed to produce high-quality, publishable research. Our program connects you with top professors and provides the resources to excel in your academic pursuits.
