Enroll your child in extracurricular activities such as foreign language education, sports, artistic endeavors and academic organizations such as chess clubs, debate clubs and volunteering, to determine which ones they enjoy. Focus on those activities in which your child shows aptitude and drop the other ones.
Start a college savings plan. The four-year tuition of an Ivy League institution can reach into the six figures. For example, Harvard University's 2010 tuition for one academic year was $50,724. You can make a budget to determine how much you want to put away per month or enroll in a college savings program such as the 529 education savings plan. Visit the Internet to learn details about the various plans available.
Supervise your child's homework assignments to make sure the work is done on time and to the best of her ability. Create rules that make school and school-related activities a priority over leisure time and hanging out with friends.
Hire a tutor. To help your child fulfill her potential, hire a tutor for specific subjects as extra instruction outside the classroom. A tutor can also help your child prepare for standardized exams that will play a large part in your child's admittance to an Ivy League school.
Create a rewards system to encourage your child to put school first. Explain to your child that good grades will result in a reward, usually something tangible such as a video-game system, money or some other desired item. This helps develop the idea in your child that education is important and that doing well in school can result in rewards.