Updated October 28, 2026.
A published paper helps only if someone independent could have turned it down. I would start with two journals that work that way. The Journal of Emerging Investigators charges $49 to submit a science paper, with a waiver if you need it, and that is the only fee. The Concord Review charges $70 for a history essay and publishes about 5 percent of what it receives. If a website promises the paper will be accepted once you pay, skip it. That line will not help the application.
Two venues, side by side
| Venue | What it publishes | Who may submit | Fee | What else the site says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal of Emerging Investigators | Scientific manuscripts, reviewed on a rolling basis and posted online after review and editing. | Middle and high school scientists, in JEI's own description. | $49 at submission. A waiver can be requested. No separate publication fee. Not refundable. | Paying does not guarantee publication. JEI does not offer expedited review. The manuscript template is required. The text limit is 10 pages, not counting the title page, references, figures, and captions. |
| The Concord Review | History research papers, in a quarterly review. It is not a contest. | Sole author. The paper was finished before the end of secondary school, and the student has not yet enrolled in college. English only. A school publication is the only prior printing allowed. | $70 submission fee for each essay. | About 5 percent of essays received are published. Endnotes should be Turabian (Chicago), not MLA. Papers under 4,000 words may be sent, and the editors say those papers compete with longer ones. Issue deadlines are February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. An essay stays eligible for the next three issues. |
A fee is not the same thing as a guarantee
Both journals charge before they decide. JEI says the $49 covers the cost of putting a manuscript into review, that the staff is mostly volunteer, and that a declined paper is not refunded. The Concord Review bills $70 for each new essay. The useful test is what happens after the payment. A real review can say no. JEI says it will not take an extra fee to move a paper ahead of others. The Concord Review says most essays are not published, and that silence about the next issue means the essay is still eligible later, not that it was accepted.
An offer that promises acceptance, a certificate, and a fast turnaround once the card is charged fails that test. Use Think. Check. Submit. before paying anyone: look up the journal name, see whether the editorial process is described, and read what the fee does and does not buy. The Committee on Publication Ethics is the body journals use when they write their own ethics rules. A venue that will not name its editors or its review steps is not a line for the activities list.
How to say it on the application
The Common App activities section is now called Activities and experiences. Character limits on names, roles, and descriptions did not change in the May 2026 counselor update, and the position field is optional. That box is too short for a methods section. Name the question, the student's part, and the status of the paper. "Submitted to the Journal of Emerging Investigators" is a different fact from "published." Our guide to the activities section is about writing inside that limit. The free activities checklist checks role, contribution, impact, and hours before anything is copied into the form. It opens without an account.
A paper that never goes to a journal can still be the project. The research portfolio guide is about documenting the work itself. If the student does not yet have a project, start with a program that still publishes a deadline, not with a journal. The comparison is in the research programs guide.
Questions families ask
Does a high school student have to publish to have a strong research file?
No. A finished project the student can explain, with a method and a result, is still research. Publication is one way to show that an outside editor looked at the work. It is not a requirement on the Common App.
What does the Journal of Emerging Investigators charge?
Forty-nine dollars when you submit, and you can ask for a waiver. That is the only charge. Paying does not get the paper accepted, the fee is not refunded if the paper is declined, and there is no way to pay extra to jump the line.
What does The Concord Review charge, and how selective is it?
Seventy dollars per essay. About 5 percent of the essays it receives are published, so plan on a no. The student has to be the only author, write in English, and finish the paper before starting college.
How should a student list a paper that is not published yet?
Use the status that is true: submitted, under review, accepted, or published. A submission is not an acceptance. If the venue has not made a decision, say so.
What is a pay-to-publish warning sign?
A promise of acceptance in exchange for a fee, a review that never sends comments, or pressure to pay more after the paper is accepted. Think. Check. Submit. is the checklist to use before any payment. A fee by itself is not the warning: JEI and The Concord Review both charge, and both say acceptance is not guaranteed.
Sources
- Journal of Emerging Investigators, submission FAQ. The $49 fee, the waiver, the rule that there is no publication fee and no expedited review, and the statement that payment does not guarantee publication. JEI's site description calls it a scientific journal for middle and high school scientists.
- JEI, preparing a submission. Rolling review, the Word file rules, and the 10-page limit.
- The Concord Review, submitting a paper. Eligibility, the $70 fee, Turabian endnotes, the 4,000-word caution, the issue deadlines, and the statement that about 5 percent of essays are published.
- Think. Check. Submit. and COPE.
Where to go next
- Publishing research as a high school student
- How students get published
- Research programs for 2027
- Building a research portfolio
- Research program deadlines, a free list checked against each official site. No account required.
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