How can I motivate my 17 year old?

Great kid, good in school (now), as far as I know not sexually active (yet), is a senior in HS wants to design games and go to college---but it is like pulling teeth to get her to be proactive in making things happen for herself!!!! It drives me crazy! Is this typical, what can I do to put a fire under her butt but in a loving way?

What teenagers think about themselves and their chances of success has everything to do with modivation. People that are motivated believe they will get the rewards if they make the effort. Those that don't believe in themselves simply don't try. For the "fire under the butt" to work, she has to light it herself, you can't do that for her. See if you can get her to talk about it and pump up her confidence. Make sure she understands that what she gets out of life will be proportional to what she puts in. The more you contribute, the more you get.