Competitions · Season calendar

History Competitions:
Format, Dates & Prep for Irvine Students

4 history competitions in school-year order; 4 have official dates for this season.

Photo: Christian Wasserfallen / Pexels

History (4)

Nov12026The Concord Review (history research paper publication) and the Emerson PrizeOn an application, an essay accepted by The Concord Review carries far more weight than a generic "research experience": it is editorially selected, publicly published work with roughly a 5% acceptance rate, and its length and citation standards approach an upper-level undergraduate research paper. For students aiming at history, political science, pre-law, or any humanities and social science field, it is one of the clearest single proofs of independent research ability, and the Emerson Prize adds a quantifiable honor on top.HighOpen to secondary school students worldwide. The paper must be completed before the author finishes secondary school and must be the original work of a single author; co-authored submissions are not accepted.Register by Nov 1
Feb132027International History Bee & Bowl / US National History Bee & BowlHistory Bee & Bowl is one of the few history events that turns knowledge into live competition, rewarding both breadth and recall speed, which suits students who genuinely read history widely. The on-ramp is friendly: the online qualifying exam is available on demand, about 60% of test-takers qualify for a regional, and students can play several tournaments a year to build experience. For applications, a national placement or an International History Olympiad invitation is a clean, comparable credential that reinforces classroom history, debate, and Model UN.ElemMiddleHighOpen to K-12 students. The high school side splits into Varsity (grades 11-12) and Junior Varsity (grade 10 and below); younger students compete in separate 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd-grade-and-younger divisions. High schoolers entering only the individual History Bee must first qualify on the Online Regional Qualifying Exam (ORQE), unless they are also playing in the History Bowl.
Feb18–212027Harvard Model Congress (HMC Boston)For Irvine students, HMC is an efficient way to turn an interest in politics, history, or law into a demonstrable experience: the conference is large, the committee list is broad, and roles range from congressional lawmaking to the courts and intelligence, so students practice reading policy material, drafting bills, speaking publicly, and negotiating under real pressure. It does not produce a submittable artifact the way NHD or The Concord Review does, but it is valuable for recommendation-letter material, interview substance, and the coherence of a long-term activity line running through Model UN, debate, student government, and legal internships.HighOpen to high school students. Students may attend as part of a school delegation registered by a faculty advisor, or register individually as unaffiliated/independent delegates. A scholarship application track is also available.Register by Nov 30
Mar132027National History Day (NHD)NHD is the largest and most widely recognized history research program in American K-12 education, running from school contests all the way to the national finals at the University of Maryland. What a student walks away with is an original piece of research, not just a score. For Irvine families the Orange County Department of Education runs the official local contest, so entry is easy and the path upward is clear, and advancing to the state or national level is concrete evidence of research skill, sustained effort, and communication ability for humanities, social science, and pre-law applicants.ElemMiddleHighJunior Division is grades 6-8 and Senior Division is grades 9-12; some affiliates, including California, also run an elementary division (California serves grades 4-12). A student may compete across the Junior and Senior Divisions for a maximum of seven years.Register by Jan 26

A Free 30-Minute Planning Call to See Your Child’s Next Step

Share the grade and the goal. An Irvine-based course advisor reaches out within one business day with a first, actionable course and study plan. Direction first, courses later.

Scan to reach a course advisor on WeChatHotline: (949) 383-4877WeChatEDUBUSerCopy the ID and add a course advisor in WeChat