<p>To be competitive, you must:</p>
<ul>
<li> have a GPA in the top few percent of your college</li>
<li> be reasonably well rounded (i.e. a physics major who minors in french)</li>
<li> have a few close relationships with faculty</li>
<li> have done a service project of some sort. See the winner bios to get ideas.</li>
</ul>
<p>It helps if you’ve won a nationally recognized honor like a Goldwater scholarship</p>
<p>It is a good sign if you are selected to Phi Beta Kappa your junior year.</p>
<p>It is a good sign if your U gives you a leadership award or two.</p>
<p>It is a good sign if your U asks you to apply.</p>
<p>You should go to the Rhodes website and read bios of some past winners to get some idea of how varied the winners are.</p>
<p>Keep in mind the odds are high, but some kids do win - 32 a year. And the experience, from what I hear, is a wonderful one.</p>