''The Concord Review: A Quarterly Review of Essays by Students of History'' is an
academic journal
An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...
dedicated to publishing the history research papers of
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
dumbing down
Dumbing down is the deliberate oversimplification of intellectual content in education, literature, and cinema, news, video games, and culture. Originated in 1933, the term "dumbing down" was movie-business slang, used by screenplay writers, mean ...
" of writing standards in American secondary schools.
The ''Review'' publishes about 5% of its submissions, and is considered among the most prestigious awards for high school students. Issued quarterly, the journal publishes research monographs on history topics from high school students from any country, as long as they are in English. Submissions are typically 4000 to 5500 words long, and must be accompanied by a subscription fee (ranging from $70-$150) to the journal in order to be considered.
Related activities
In addition to publishing the journal, The Concord Review, Inc. engages in a number of other projects. Five outstanding essays per year are awarded the
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...
Prize of about $3000. Fitzhugh also founded the National History Club, with chapters in hundreds of American high schools. Also, The Concord Review, Inc. operates a service called the National Writing Board, which for a fee of $100 will evaluate student writing and forward the results to college admissions committees.
Reception and support
Having a paper accepted for publication by ''The Concord Review'' is viewed very favorably by university admissions committees, with the Dean of Admissions for
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
considering it equivalent to winning a national mathematics contest.
Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr. (; born Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger; October 15, 1917 – February 28, 2007) was an American historian, social critic, and public intellectual. The son of the influential historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. and a s ...
, taped a video testimonial praising the ''Review'' for providing a scholarly venue for high school students.
The ''Review'' has been featured in a number of media outlets, including ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'', ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. Among others, the ''Review'' has been supported by
David Rubenstein
David Mark Rubenstein (born August 11, 1949) is an American billionaire businessman. A former government official and lawyer, he is a co-founder and co-chairman of the private equity firm The Carlyle Group,John Thornton, and John Abele.