Frequently asked questions

We focus on business, economics, psychology, sociology, public policy, and adjacent social-science fields. We do not currently offer mentorship in pure STEM (physics, chemistry, biology, math), the humanities, or the arts.

Typically 1–2 weeks after the consultation, depending on the specificity of the research interest. Niche topics may take longer.

If the student has a specific professor in mind, we'll consider it — but mentor relationships are based on JBE's vetted network. We don't onboard new mentors per student.

A computer, video calling software (Zoom or Google Meet), Google Docs or Word, and depending on the project: R, Stata, SPSS, or Excel. We provide guidance on free educational licenses.

1-hour mentor session + 3–5 hours of independent work in the 3-Month and 6-Month programs. The 1-Month Sprint is roughly 3 hours per week total.

No. We assume zero prior research experience. We do assume the student has solid writing skills (typically grade-level) and is comfortable doing independent reading.

Topic refinement is normal in the first 4 weeks. Major topic switches after data collection has started are possible but extend the timeline.

Yes. Most students do. Mentor sessions are scheduled around the student's availability — evenings and weekends are common.

1-Hour Consult: FREE. 1-Month Sprint: $7,000/month ($7,000 total). 2-Month Standard: $2,500/month ($5,000 total). 3-Month Premier: $1,500/month ($4,500 total). All paid programs include completed paper + first journal submission. After first submission, revise-and-resubmit rounds are $1,000 each. Journal submission fees are separate, paid by the student, and vary by journal.

Full refund within the first session if the student decides not to continue. After that, case-by-case for genuine extenuating circumstances.

For students under 16, yes — and we recommend it for the first session. For students 16+, sessions are between the student and mentor; we provide regular progress summaries to parents on request.

Student work, family contact information, and consultation notes are stored in encrypted JBE systems. We never sell or share data with third parties.

Yes. About 30% of JBE students are international. Sessions are scheduled across time zones; mentor matching considers time-zone compatibility.

Strong reading comprehension and writing at the level of an upper-intermediate (B2) or higher academic English. Mentor sessions are conducted in English.

Yes — we accept international wire transfer, PayPal, and major credit cards. Pricing is the same regardless of location.

Mentors are based across multiple time zones; we match for reasonable session times in the student's local time.

No. All editorial decisions — accept, reject, revise-and-resubmit — are made by the journal's editor and reviewers, not by JBE. We prepare the strongest possible manuscript and submission, but acceptance is never guaranteed. Any program that guarantees publication should be treated with skepticism.

It varies widely. Time from submission to the journal's first decision can range from a few weeks to several months. Total time from initial submission to final acceptance or rejection can take six months to over a year, depending on the journal, the assigned editor, reviewer availability, and the journal's internal processes. None of this is within JBE's control.

Yes — and they're separate from JBE's program prices. Many high school research journals charge a submission, processing, or article-processing fee that the student pays directly to the journal. Fees vary by journal and can range from $0 to several hundred dollars. We'll tell you the expected fee for each target journal before submission so you can decide.

For students in the 3-Month Premier and 2-Month Standard tracks who follow the full methodology, our submissions reach acceptance approximately 60–70% of the time (often after one or two revise-and-resubmit rounds). Exact rates fluctuate by cohort, topic, and target journal. Publication is the goal, not a promise.

That's the goal. The published paper (or accepted-pending-publication submission) becomes a credential the student can list on the Common App, in supplementary materials, and as evidence in essays.

The student. JBE claims no copyright or authorship on student work. The mentor is acknowledged but is not a co-author.

We help target a different journal and revise. Each new submission may incur a new journal fee (paid by the student). Most rejected papers are accepted on the second or third submission after appropriate revisions, though we cannot guarantee outcomes at any journal.