In high school, I was a very competitive person. OK, I still am—my friends hate to play certain board games  with me because, well, I scare them.

What made me even more competitive in high school was my quest for scholarship funds. And thanks to my competitive nature, I ended up with a lot of scholarships—both in number and monetary value. So, what was my secret? Here are some of the things I learned.

First off, always look for scholarship opportunities that reward you for your interests. Remember the biggie I got for my interest in and commitment to journalism?

Next, check for scholarship opportunities based on your activities. Since I was very young, I've been a Girl Scout . I was very involved and ended up receiving my Gold Award  (which is the equivalent of the Boy Scout Eagle Scout  award). My local Girl Scout Council offered a scholarship program, so I applied—and I got some free money.

Look to your family members for suggestions. For example, two of my scholarships were from an organization my father is involved in  and an organization my brother-in-law is involved in.

Apply to colleges you are interested in early enough to complete any general scholarship application . Make sure you hit the deadlines for any individual or departmental scholarships, too.

Think local. Apply for all the local scholarships for which you're qualified. Your guidance counselor will likely have list of local scholarships (here's an example of scholarships available in my hometown ). Local scholarships may only be awarded for one year, but every little bit will help.

Here are some links I found with advice on writing scholarship essays , information on how to apply for a scholarship , and general scholarship tips .

And if you have tips or questions of your own, share them with other readers.