The Schola is an online quarterly publication for high school students that publishes academic essays on humanities and social sciences topics.  This selective journal, which encourages students to “think critically about important issues in social, political and moral spheres of life,” publishes “rigorous scholarship.” 

Types of Research Accepted

The Schola accepts academic essays written by high school students on topics and interdisciplinary topics that fall into the humanities and social sciences categories: sociology, english, economics, history, art history, philosophy, and public policy. 

Length Requirements/Restrictions

There is a 20-page limit (1.5 inch spaced, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman), not including works cited.

Submission Deadlines

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and you may submit your essay anytime you like. Your submitted essay will be eligible to be considered for publication in any of the 3 issues that follow your submission. Issues are released online during the first week of the following four months: March, June, September, and December.

Requirements for Submission

General Requirements:

1. Before submitting an essay, students must either subscribe to The Schola or complete a copyright transfer agreement; in both cases, a non-refundable $180 submission fee must be paid.   
2. Essays are only allowed to have one author.
3. Any essay submitted must be accompanied by an abstract of 200-220 words.
4. Essays may be submitted after a student has graduated from high school, as long as the student was enrolled in high school at the time that the essay was written.
5. Students are not allowed to submit essays that have been submitted elsewhere or have already been published, except in the students’ high school publications. 

Formatting Structure and Requirements:

Each journal has its own formatting structure and requirements regarding a variety of technical factors, such as font, citations, bibliography, file naming, spacing, endnotes, illustrations, etc. You must go to The Schola’s website and consult their submission page before you begin working on your paper to see the most up-to-date rules regarding formatting and structure and to make sure you are in line with all the listed requirements as you work on your paper.  In addition to the submission page, you can view a sample cover page with requirements here, and answers to frequently asked questions here.  

Advisor

An advisor is not required to submit to The Schola.

IRB Approval or Exemption Required?

No.

Link for Submission

https://theschola.org/products/submit

Cost

There is a $180 non-refundable submission fee for each essay submitted.

Assessment and Acceptance Process

Submitted essays undergo a blind review process. All reviewers have PhDs, and are academic professionals within the humanities and social sciences. Students will be contacted only if their essays are accepted for publication; those whose essays have not been selected for publication will not be contacted.

In some instances, The Schola may ask students to revise their submitted essays after the essays have undergone the initial review, and then to resubmit the revised essays for a second round of consideration. The Schola sometimes awards a magna and/or summa distinction to certain essays selected for publication.

Notification

The editorial decision is made within 2-3 weeks of submission; if your manuscript is accepted, you will be notified in that time frame.  If you do not hear from The Schola within two weeks of your submission, you can assume that your essay was not accepted. If your essay is accepted, you may be required to make some minor revisions to meet The Schola’s formatting requirements. In some cases, if your essay is accepted, you may be asked to make substantial revisions. This revision process can take up to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the revisions that are requested.

Past Submissions/Examples

To be granted access to previous, current, and future published essays, you must subscribe by paying a fee of $120, which you can do here.  

Academic Integrity and Publication Protocol

Academic protocol for publication submission dictates that you are allowed to submit to only one journal at time. Please keep this in mind when choosing a journal for publication submission and make sure that if you are considering multiple journals, that you decide on your preferred order before making your first submission.

Additional Steps

If you are interested in submitting to The Schola, this decision must be made as early as possible during your mentorship studies. Please speak to your Hugo mentor and Program Coach as soon as possible if you think you are interested in submitting to this journal.