<p>Keep encouraging him to do the absolute best he can in school, sports, EC’s, etc. Even if he doesn’t decide to apply, he will have plenty of options. I had no clue about the academies when I was in 8th grade. However, I knew I wanted to get into a good college and get a good job, so I studied. My plans changed about 4 times in high school. Fortunately, when the time came, I had enough of a background to successfully apply (to USAFA). </p>
<p>My motivation for college really didn’t come until part way through high school. As long as he stays motivated to do what he needs to now (i.e. get the grades, take leadership, and stay involved in EC’s), his end motivations probably won’t matter too much when it comes to specifics.</p>