Encourage your child's passions and talk with him about how he can pursue these interests in college and in a future career. If your son is particularly interested in theater, for example, mention universities that have particularly good theater programs to get him excited about college. Encourage your child to pursue her interests by taking relevant classes or joining extracurricular activities.
Take your child to college campuses nearby when she is in late middle school and may already be looking forward to enjoying more independence. Take a tour led by a current student at the school. Your child may begin to get more excited about college when she learns about the experience from someone closer to her own age. Visit facilities relevant to her particular interests, such as the studio art or science classrooms or the hockey rink. Discuss the campus visit with your child afterward. Visits to college campuses can help your child make decisions about what kinds of schools appeal to her. She may decide, for example, that she doesn't want to apply to a certain school that seems weak in her areas of interest.
Talk to your child about your own experiences in college if you were fortunate enough to attend. Explain how your academic and social experiences in college inform your identity today. Talk about a new passion you discovered at school, or a certain professor who inspired you to pursue a subject you hadn't considered studying. Take your son or daughter to a class reunion at your college. If you did not attend college, help your child to understand that a college education is a great privilege and opportunity that not everyone is fortunate enough to have. This might inspire him to work hard to earn the privilege of attending a good school.
Explain to your child that she can get a good education at a wide variety of schools, rather than only at a select handful of elite schools. Encourage her to consider a range of schools and to focus on finding the right fit, rather than merely the highest ranked or most selective institution.