The Truth About Publishing Your Research Paper as a High School Student

We’ve been receiving questions from you guys and so we thought we would put together an FAQ blog post to answer all of your questions on publishing, whether with Student Journal of Business and Economics or elsewhere.

Why is there a fee to publish my paper, and why is it priced as it is?

SJBE compensates numerous individuals involved in the review and publication process to ensure timely, rigorous, and educational feedback for student authors. This includes:

• Peer reviewers who assess manuscripts and provide detailed feedback;
• Handling submissions, editorial logistics, reviewer onboarding, publication workflows, and long-term journal development; and
• Website maintenance.

The publication fee also supports ongoing efforts to expand and professionalize the journal’s infrastructure, including indexing, DOI registration, editorial systems, and publication accessibility initiatives. We spend hours of time developing and strengthening our journal’s brand to make it worthwhile for you on your resume.

The journal aims not to create financial barriers but to sustain a high-quality, mentorship-oriented publication process for emerging researchers.

Our mentors studied at Ivy+ institutions, and we compensate them at rates that are reasonable for their time. They review each paper during their personal time after work. The review process can take several hours weekly, and the fee motivates them to continue providing accurate edits to strengthen your paper and offer a genuine peer-review experience.

Additionally, we cover the cost of each paper’s DOI and have expenses for website management and other overheads. The fees enable us to maintain a journal that enhances your college applications.

We believe our prices are highly competitive compared to similar journals, offering a better deal with adherence to DOI publishing standards from Crossref and a partnership with the Library of Congress. Through our extensive research, we found that comparable journals that offer what we do are all around our price point. All papers are published periodically under our ISSN and can be accessed on the Library of Congress website. Many high school student journals lack these advantages. We ensure fairness by reviewing each paper, even if not accepted, and do not plan to charge fees for reading your paper.

Do you offer any fee waivers?

Yes, we offer fee waivers for students experiencing financial hardship, provided their paper has been accepted. Please email us at contact@studentjournalofbusiness.com for further details.

What is your acceptance rate?

Not every paper is accepted, as all submissions undergo peer review. We often find that papers lacking critical and new analysis are also not accepted. In our first year (2026), we have an acceptance rate of about 48%, which is gradually decreasing as time progresses.

Should I choose to publish at SJBE?

Well, it depends. Here at SJBE we truly want what is best for you and your college applications. We established our journal because our mentors have guided high school students on where to publish their papers, and we noticed that many desired publication in a prestigious business and economics journal. This is why our journal was created. We strive to be different. Our focus is on students aiming to enter prestigious business schools like UMich Ross, Haas, or Wharton. We are here to assist you in achieving that goal, so if this aligns with your interests, we strongly recommend our journal as a partner on your journey.

However, if you plan to major in a field outside of business or economics, another journal might be a better fit for you, and that’s perfectly fine. We want you to make the best decision on where to publish because, just like choosing a school, you can only publish in one journal. We aim to be the best fit for you and help you get into the best-fit school.