<p>If you live near a university, you could look on the web site for professor information. Usually you can see something about their research areas, and find their email address. If you email to volunteer in their lab over the summer, you may get some responses. Specifically cite the research you read about and why you would be interested in helping out. Honestly… you may end up doing lab scut work for the summer, but it could be a building block to a better position in the future, and something to put on your college apps/resume in the science area.</p>
<p>I just emailed a professor at a local university (School of Mines) and he said I could volunteer over the summer. He never asked about my credentials so I’m pretty sure he’s going to have me do simple tasks, but I’ll have completed Physics and Precalc (they don’t let you get more than 2 years ahead at my school) but I’ve also been self studying calculus. I wouldn’t expect to do anything important, for me its more about finding out what its like to work in a lab, what a theoretical physicist’s work is like, and gaining some experience as well as getting something to put on a college ap.</p>
<p>I actually sent him 2 emails. The first one was at the beginning of last summer and did mention his research topics. I waited until the end of summer and he did not respond to it. After school started I sent a second email that did not mention the previous email or specifics about his research and said something along the lines of “Can I help your with your research next summer?” He responded to that email after 2 weeks saying sure and that I should contact him again closer to the summer to set up specifics. I did send him another email about any specific topics he would like me to read up on which he responded to in a week.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat as you Agrasin. I looked into SSP but that’s for juniors, not sophomores. It seems like all of the good programs are on the coasts, nowhere near where I’m from (Midwest).</p>
<p>Yeah, sjglove, it seems our options are very limited. What else have you considered besides SSP? Are you perhaps looking to do research with a local professor?</p>