I applied to some summer programs, but I don’t hear back until April-May, and I really want to do scientific research over the summer so I was considering emailing professors at my local university. However, would it be too late to do so in May? I feel like it would be rude to ask and then later say no and instead go to a program?
You’re going to contact professors at a university you aren’t enrolled at and ask them to supervise your summer “research”?
@JustOneDad Professors are sometimes willing to take high school students as unpaid research assistants.
You could start emailing sooner and set up time to talk with them about your interests or goals - without committing to them. As a recipient of many such emails each year, most of them I igmore. Occasionally I am in a good mood, and the email is particularly appealing and I reply. Casual discussion with my colleagues suggests this is the norm for my university. You will likely need to send several to get a “nibble” in reply. Professors with the inclination to take on a summer student will probably fill those opportunities by late spring, so I would start the inquiries now and expect you can finalize your plan in May.