J.C.
My friend sent out an email stating all the things she wished she had known when her daughter was a freshman. Her daughter sat down senior year to apply for colleges and really didn't have an impressive application. The following are some of the main points...
Grades matter - the first thing colleges want to know is your GPA and your class rank if your school reports it.
Take as many honors classes and AP classes as you can (this will effect your class ranking and GPA since these classes are weighted)
Activities
Leadership positions
Volunteer work
Awards and special recognition
I would share this list with your son and talk about his future plans. If he wants to go to college he should start thinking about how he looks on paper now and make improvements where necessary.
By the time they are in HS I think the saying that "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink it" applies.
Good luck.