Writing Scholars · 1-on-1 Mentorship · Online
Student Journals
One-on-one mentorship toward a published piece in Polyphony Lit, The Schola or the Curieux Academic Journal. Ten or twenty hours with a Writing Scholars tutor, scheduled flexibly, from $1,200.
Polyphony Lit
A student-edited international literary magazine for high school writers. Two free general-submission windows a year, plus seasonal contests.
Polyphony Lit publishes poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction by high school students and is edited by high school students. Volume 22 general submissions open in two windows: 1 October to 30 November 2026 and 1 March to 30 April 2027, each closing at 200 submissions. Seasonal contests (Winter, Black History, Spring, API Month, Pride) run between the windows.
- What it publishes
- Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction
- Eligibility
- High school students worldwide.
- Fee
- Free. General-submission windows close once 200 pieces arrive; every submission receives editorial feedback.
- Review time
- Feedback from student editors on every piece
- Next window
- Submissions open · Oct 1, 2026
- Official guidelines
- polyphonylit.org/submission-guidelines
Upcoming dates
Polyphony Lit- Oct 1, 2026CDTSubmissions open · Autumn 2026 windowOfficial page
- Nov 30, 2026CSTWindow closes (or at 200 pieces) · Autumn 2026 window
- Mar 1, 2027CSTSubmissions open · Spring 2027 windowOfficial page
- Apr 30, 2027CDTWindow closes (or at 200 pieces) · Spring 2027 window
Mentorship packages
10 hours
Polyphony Lit
$120/hour
$1,200 USD
- Diagnostic read of existing poems, stories or essays
- Structure, voice and line editing toward one or two pieces
- Selection and formatting for the next submission window
20 hours · Most popular
Polyphony Lit
$100/hour
$2,000 USD
- Everything in the 10-hour package
- A portfolio across poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction
- Both submission windows and the seasonal contests
The Schola
A quarterly online journal of humanities and social-science essays by high school students. Rolling submissions, decisions in two to three weeks.
The Schola publishes essays in philosophy, politics, sociology, history, literature and public policy. Submissions are accepted year-round and reviewed within two to three weeks; each manuscript is submitted separately with its own $180 fee.
- What it publishes
- Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, History, Literature, Public policy
- Eligibility
- High school students worldwide.
- Fee
- $180 per submission, non-refundable, paid to the journal.
- Review time
- Decision in 2–3 weeks
- Next window
- Rolling: submit any time
- Official guidelines
- theschola.org
Mentorship packages
10 hours
The Schola
$120/hour
$1,200 USD
- Diagnostic read of the draft or research question
- Thesis, argument and citation to journal standard
- One essay taken through to submission
20 hours · Most popular
The Schola
$100/hour
$2,000 USD
- Everything in the 10-hour package
- Two full essay cycles or one essay through deep revision
- Crossover planning for John Locke and HIR
Curieux Academic Journal
A youth-led non-profit journal publishing research papers by high school and middle school students in any subject, year-round.
Founded in 2017, Curieux accepts research papers in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and the arts on a rolling basis. Authors hear back within two to five weeks; accepted papers appear in the next issue two to three months later. Its sister publication, the Curieux Review, showcases student work in digital and themed formats.
- What it publishes
- Any academic subject
- Eligibility
- High school and middle school students worldwide, any academic subject.
- Fee
- Free to submit; a $200 publication fee applies if the paper is accepted.
- Review time
- Decision in 2–5 weeks; published 2–3 months after acceptance
- Next window
- Rolling: submit any time
- Official guidelines
- curieuxacademicjournal.com/submissions
Mentorship packages
10 hours
Curieux
$120/hour
$1,200 USD
- Diagnostic read of the project or draft
- Paper structure: abstract, method, findings, discussion
- Citations, formatting and submission
20 hours · Most popular
Curieux
$100/hour
$2,000 USD
- Everything in the 10-hour package
- Research design and data or source analysis
- Hours held back for revision after reviewer feedback
From draft to submission-ready piece
- 1
Diagnostic read
Your tutor reads the existing draft, or the raw idea, and sets out what the journal's editors will look for and where the piece stands against that.
- 2
Editing sessions
One-on-one sessions scheduled flexibly around school: structure first, then argument or voice, then line editing. Between sessions the student revises.
- 3
Submission-ready piece
The mentorship ends with a piece formatted to the journal's guidelines, a cover note where one is needed, and a plan for the submission window.
- 4
Hours used within six months
Ten or twenty hours, booked as you go. Any hours left after a submission can be used on the journal's feedback or a second piece.
Common questions
Which fees go to the journal and which to Atlantic Ivy?
Tuition for the mentorship is paid to Atlantic Ivy. Any submission or publication fee is paid by the family to the journal directly: Polyphony Lit is free to submit, The Schola charges $180 per submission, and Curieux is free to submit with a $200 publication fee only if the paper is accepted.
Is publication guaranteed?
No. Each journal's editors decide what they publish, and we do not influence that decision. What we guarantee is a submission-ready piece that meets the journal's stated guidelines, and honest advice about which journal fits the work.
Who teaches the mentorship?
The Writing Scholars tutors: Oxford, Harvard, Yale and Cambridge graduates who coach competition essays and research writing for a living. Students are matched to a tutor by subject and form (creative writing, humanities essay or research paper).
How quickly can we start?
Usually within a week. Sessions are scheduled flexibly with your tutor rather than in a fixed weekly slot, and the hours are used within six months of purchase.
Can the same piece go to a competition as well?
Often, yes. A Schola-standard humanities essay is close to a John Locke or HIR entry, and a Curieux research paper can feed The Concord Review or a science fair. Your tutor will say where the overlap is real and where it is not.
The Record
Results Our Writing Students Earned
See the full year-by-year record on our results page
How the mentorship works
Not sure which journal fits?
Send us a draft or a one-paragraph description of the idea and a Writing Scholars tutor will suggest the right journal and package.