Make an appointment with your child's guidance counselor. Ask the counselor which colleges your son or daughter should apply to. Understand that some colleges are too competitive, and you do not want to set your child up for failure. Be realistic and determine a short list of schools.
Research all of the colleges on your list. Take notes on what programs would be appealing to your son or daughter, as well as positive highlights for each school. Narrow down the list of colleges to two or three that you believe would most appeal to your son or daughter.
Talk to your child about college. Ask him what his future plans are. Explain that many of these goals will require an undergraduate education. Listen to what your child has to say and make sure that the colleges you have selected align with his needs and goals.
Make appointments to visit the colleges on the list you have narrowed down. Visit all of the colleges on different weekends to help differentiate them in your child's mind. Make a weekend of the trip if possible and visit areas of interest around the school. Arrange to take a tour of the school itself to make sure you get the full experience of what the school offers its students.
Talk to your child about all of the colleges you visited. Have a discussion to determine his top choice. Help fill out the applications and get the process underway. Many students become overwhelmed with the college process and can give up before they have even begun. Making the process manageable will help motivate them.