Receiving a prestigious award such as the Rhodes, British Marshall, Truman or Goldwater Scholarship will change your life -- no question about it. The opportunities that will come with such an award are many: travel, research, meeting influential and powerful people, making connections; these and much more await you if you are fortunate enough to win one of these awards.

But to compete for and win a nationally competitive award takes a lot of preparation, planning and hard work. It's not enough to be smart and have good grades, although that is important. You need to have determination, energy, confidence and a carefully organized plan. Plus you'll need help from professors, administrators, your family and friends.

Here are some tips: