As a junior in college (2021), I received the national Goldwater Scholarship — the most prestigious undergraduate award in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. At the time of application, I had 0 publications and only 2 minor presentations.
The purpose of this article is to go into detail about what the Scholarship is, the components of the application, my personal experience applying, and what I recommend for future applicants. When I applied, I had very few resources available from my school, so I hope this article helps someone!