There is sci-fi, and then there is sci-fi...well, if we want to be pedantic, SF. If you do a basic science fiction story with little theoretical basis(es) you won't score well. If it simply works within conventions you can't hope for much - however, if you pull something like Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (a must read for extension 2 SF) or much of Iain M. Banks (i.e. vaguely postmodern) or, perhaps, a cyberpunk-esque story (William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, etc.), the markers should love you, particularly if you 'question the nature' of SF while you're at it.
Yes, Just Before His Head Exploded... is a good one - check it out for ideas.