The Concord Review

What The Concord Review does

The Concord Review, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Massachusetts corporation founded in 1987 by Will Fitzhugh, operating from Sudbury, MA with 1-10 employees. It publishes the only quarterly journal in the world dedicated exclusively to academic history research papers written by secondary school students. Each quarterly issue (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) contains eleven essays averaging over 8,500 words, with published papers ranging from 5,000 to 21,000 words. The organization maintains a ~5% acceptance rate, publishing essays from students in 46 US states and 46 countries. Revenue is generated through multiple streams: annual subscriptions ($60 eBook / $100 US print / $140 international print / $150 US dual / $190 international dual), $70 essay submission fees, $5 TCR Singles (individual essays), $30 back issues, $350 National Writing Board evaluations, $20 TCR Readers special editions, donations, and academic coaching services. The organization also operates four affiliated programs: the National Writing Board (independent paper evaluation endorsed by 39 selective colleges), TCR Academic Coaches (online tutoring by former TCR authors), TCR History Camp (summer program), and TCR Institute (research arm founded 2002). The Emerson Prize ($1,000) and Fitzhugh Prize ($5,000) are awarded annually to outstanding student authors.

The core technology stack is traditional publishing infrastructure rather than a technology product. The website runs on Wild Apricot membership software handling subscriptions, submissions, and payments via PayPal and credit card. Essays are submitted in MS Word or RTF format with Turabian (Chicago) citations and typeset in InDesign. The National Writing Board evaluation uses a standardized 5-dimension rubric (Reading/Sources, Thinking/Understanding, Elaboration/Use of Evidence, Writing/Use of Language, Overall Result) scored 1-6 by two independent senior secondary instructors, producing a 3-4 page report. TCR Singles and TCR Readers are also distributed through Amazon marketplace. There is no AI/ML component; the editorial and assessment processes are entirely human-curated.

The go-to-market relies on community-led growth through academic networks, history teachers, college admissions officers, and alumni, augmented by direct-to-consumer online sales and event-driven recruitment via TCR History Camp. Marketing channels include founder Will Fitzhugh's blog commentary on history education and earned media coverage in major outlets (Washington Post, Forbes, The Atlantic, Boston Globe, New York Times, Education Week, CNN). TCR has no institutional investors, no VC backing, and the founder has stated that subscriptions alone are insufficient to sustain operations, relying on donations and supplementary revenue streams. The organization serves a highly distributed customer base: individual students, parents, and schools across domestic and international markets, with school-level bulk subscriptions (e.g., Santa Catalina ordered 150 class subscriptions) representing the enterprise segment.

Name

The Concord Review

Legal name

The Concord Review, Inc.

Website

https://tcr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Concord Review is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 that publishes the only quarterly journal of academic history research papers by secondary school students. It serves motivated high school students, history teachers, and selective college admissions offices globally, also offering paper evaluation, coaching, and awards programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Journal Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL), Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Student history journal
• Academic writing evaluation
• Secondary education publishing
• College admissions support
• Independent writing assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Sudbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: TCR publishes four issues per year (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer). Subscriptions are available in eBook ($60/year), Print US ($100/year), Print International ($140/year), Dual US ($150/year), and Dual International ($190/year). Each issue contains eleven essays.
2. Essay Submission Fees: Students pay a $70 submission fee to submit a history research paper for publication consideration. The fee includes a complimentary 1-year subscription to the Electronic Edition. An additional $30 plus shipping allows authors to receive the Print Edition. This is a one-time per-essay fee, though students may submit multiple papers.
3. TCR Singles (Individual Essay Sales): Individual essays are sold as TCR Singles for $5 per copy. Bulk orders of 30 copies of a previously unpublished single cost $175 (US) or $235 (International, including shipping). Full back issues are priced at $30 each.
4. Back Issues and Special Editions: Full journal issues are sold at $30 per issue. Special TCR Readers editions (Women's History Issue, Emerson Prize Issue) are sold at $20 per copy in print or Kindle format. Custom runs of out-of-print issues are available for $150 + $10 shipping (5 copies minimum).
5. National Writing Board Assessment Fee: The National Writing Board charges $350 for a 3-4 page evaluation report of a history research paper. The paper is evaluated by two senior secondary instructors against TCR's independent academic writing standard. Authors may request the report be sent to college admissions officers.
6. Donations: TCR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It relies on donations from individuals who support academic excellence in secondary schools. The organization states it receives no federal, state, or local government support and few foundation grants.
7. Academic Coaching Services: TCR Academic Coaches provides individual online coaching for high school students writing research papers. Former TCR authors (now attending competitive colleges) serve as coaches. Payment is made via invoice for coaching services received.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Concord Review publishes a quarterly journal containing academic history research essays written exclusively by secondary school students, with four issues (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) released each year. Beyond the flagship journal, the organization sells individual essays (TCR Singles), themed compilations (TCR Readers), and back issues, while operating companion services including the National Writing Board independent paper evaluation, TCR Academic Coaches one-on-one coaching, TCR History Camp summer program, and cash prizes (Emerson and Fitzhugh). All offerings target academically motivated high school students seeking recognition and a credential for selective college admissions.

Product overview

The Concord Review is a nonprofit educational organization offering a portfolio of products centered on promoting academic excellence in secondary school history education. The core product is the quarterly TCR Journal, which publishes 11 history essays per issue. Supporting products include TCR Singles (individual essays), the National Writing Board (independent paper evaluation), TCR Academic Coaches (online coaching), TCR History Camp (summer program), and TCR Institute (research arm). The organization also awards the Emerson Prize and Fitzhugh Prize to outstanding student authors. TCR Readers offers curated special editions on specific topics, while Back Issues provides access to the complete archive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Emerson Prize: Annual prize of $1,000 awarded to TCR-published students showing outstanding promise in history.
• Fitzhugh Prize
• Varsity Academics

Products and services

• The Concord Review Journal The flagship quarterly journal of The Concord Review, publishing eleven academic history research papers by secondary school students from around the world in each issue. Available in print and eBook formats, with 4 issues per year. This is the only quarterly journal in the world dedicated exclusively to publishing academic history research papers written by secondary students.
• TCR Singles Individual essays from past journal issues available for purchase as single copies in downloadable or printed format. Over 1,000 essays are available, spanning Volume 1 (1988) through Volume 36 (2026). Teachers can order class sets (minimum 30 copies, $175 US / $235 International) of a previously unpublished single for curriculum use. Priced at $5 per copy.
• National Writing Board Independent paper evaluation service where two senior secondary instructors review and rate high school history papers (3-4 page report) against an academic expository writing standard endorsed by 39 selective colleges and universities including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Virginia, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Scoring uses a 5-dimension rubric (Reading, Thinking, Elaboration, Writing, Overall) on a 1-6 scale. Fee is $350; takes approximately 12 weeks. Authors may request the report be sent to college admissions officers.
• TCR Academic Coaches Individual online coaching service for high school students writing in-depth research papers. Coaches are primarily former TCR authors who now attend or have graduated from selective colleges (42% of past TCR authors attend Ivy League colleges). Payment is processed via invoice.
• TCR History Camp Summer program for high school students interested in history and academic writing, designed to introduce students to TCR's writing standards and history research methodology and create a pipeline of potential submission authors.
• TCR Readers Special curated editions of TCR on selected historical topics, including the Women's History Issue and the Emerson Prize Issue. Available as print copies ($20) and Kindle editions through Amazon and the TCR website.
• Back Issues Archive of past journal issues available for purchase, covering volumes from 1988 to present. Individual journal issues are priced at $30 per copy. Out-of-print issues can be special ordered in runs of 5 copies minimum for $150 plus $10 US shipping.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42% of past TCR authors attended Ivy League colleges
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTCR sells TCR Singles (individual essays) and TCR Readers special editions through Amazon's marketplace platform, reaching buyers who purchase through Amazon's e-book and print-on-demand distribution.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Junior State of America (JSA): JSA is a student-run political and civic education organization for high schoolers that runs debate, speech, and convention programs. Comparable academically oriented extracurricular for motivated secondary students, though centered on civics rather than history writing.
• The John Locke Institute: The John Locke Institute runs academic essay competitions across multiple subjects and publishes student work, serving the same high-achieving secondary students seeking credentials for selective college admissions. Comparable niche and prestige-oriented operating model.
• National History Day: National History Day (NHD) is the largest K-12 history research competition in the US, judging student research papers, documentaries, and exhibits. It is the most direct functional peer to TCR, addressing the same population of secondary history researchers and feeding into similar college-recognition outcomes.
• We the People (Center for Civic Education): The Center for Civic Education runs the We the People program, a constitutional history competition for secondary students that culminates in congressional hearings and academic recognition. Comparable audience and humanities-recognition model, though focused on civics rather than open history topics.

Regional players

• Concord Review (UK): Listed in error; the closest UK analog to TCR is Cambridge's Review of International Studies or similar scholarly journals. No dedicated UK-based secondary student history journal was identified as a true direct peer.

Broad incumbents

• Rethinking Schools: Rethinking Schools publishes an award-winning quarterly magazine and curriculum materials for K-12 educators focused on social justice and history teaching. It overlaps with TCR in serving history teachers as a classroom resource and adjacent publishing distribution.
• Stanford History Education Group: Stanford History Education Group produces widely adopted history curriculum, lesson plans, and reading assessments for K-12, including the influential 'Reading Like a Historian' materials. Overlaps with TCR in advancing history teaching standards and serving history teachers as curriculum decision-makers.
• Cobblestone (Cricket Media history titles): Cricket Media publishes children's history magazines such as Cobblestone and Calliope aimed at younger readers (elementary and middle school). Adjacent peer in K-12 history periodical publishing, though targeting a younger demographic than TCR's high school audience.
• American Scholar: Published by Phi Beta Kappa since 1932, the American Scholar is a quarterly journal of essays on culture, history, and ideas. Comparable quarterly periodical cadence and humanities orientation, though aimed at general intellectual readers rather than secondary students.

Others

• TCR Institute: Listed for completeness; TCR Institute is TCR's internal research arm sponsoring studies on academic writing in high schools rather than an external peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-concord-review

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Concord Review