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Time magazine recently ran a cover story feature on the challenges of applying to college. While most media coverage of the college application process focuses on the ultra competitiveness of the ritual, Time focused on the liberation of college choice.

With so many great colleges and universities to choose from, finding the best fit is an individual choice that should focus on what a student wants out of the college experience as opposed to the weight the school name carries. In essence, Nancy Gibbs and Nathan Thornburgh, authors of “Who Needs Harvard?” encourage high school students to look beyond the name to the actual benefits the school has to offer.

In addition to providing a much needed wake up call to parents of high school students, high school guidance counselors and high school juniors and seniors, the pair provides some tips for approaching the college search process.

10 tips you need to know
1. Hold your horses. There’s no need to start the search until the summer before junior year.
2. Get organized. The best applicants treat the process as a research project, with clear goals and deadlines and lots of note taking.
3. If possible, pay a visit. No amount of Web surfing can replace a real tour of a campus.
4. Study the price. With scholarships and financial aid, the college that causes the worst sticker shock may still offer the best deal.
5. Contact the coaches. Even if you’re not a star in your chosen sport, a coach who thinks you could be a walk-on could lobby for you.
6. Know the tests. SATs and ACTs have their own logic. Practice!
7. Be first in line. If you can, apply for early action or early decision.
8. Don’t overapply. Stay safe and sane with five to eight schools.
9. Click send. Online applications are convenient. But follow up by phone to ensure that it went through.
10. Trust the system. Admissions are generally fair. Success comes through diligence, not tricks or high-priced consultants.

It is important to note that even the best laid plan can yield undesirable results. But with close to 70 percent of all students getting into their number one choice college or university according to Maria Furtado, director of admissions at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., there is no reason to believe things will change this time.