Hello, im a freshman in highschool and one of my friends who is graduating highschool told me I could work with a professor over the summer next year to do a project related to my interests. I know it’s to early to email them but I wanted to get to know about this more, but I don’t know anything about it so I have a many questions. Going straight to the point I’m interested in humanities in areas related to politics and international relations. And I was wondering if I could just email the professor and if I do what should say to them once I email them? Do I need to apply for a specific position? Or do I need to ask to join a research team? How would I know if there is a research team? Is there even a research team in college related to humanities? How would I find out if this position is open and what could I possibly be doing in this job? And also does this count as a internship if I get accepted by a professor or is it not considered one? Lastly if I do get accepted what do I do with them? Is there anyone who did this before over the summer? It’s not like a science research lab so I’m not sure what I would do with the professor. I apologize for asking so many questions but I’m lost, I have no idea what to do. If it helps I was going to ask professors in colleges Duke, NC state, and UNC since I’m near them. Thank you for reading my question.
First, do a little research into professors’ public profiles on college websites. Usually there will be a little information about them and their work, links to their most recent papers, and often a link to the research group’s website if there is a group. Sometimes it will mention that they have had high school or undergrad interns in the past. Read a piece of writing or two by each group (if available) and decide which research groups sound the most interesting and relevant. Find the professor’s email address and write a nice letter. State your name, your level in school (not your year but just the fact that you’re a high school student), and your interest in their work. This is where reading some of their writing comes in handy, since you can be specific about their work and your interest in it. Then ask whether they have any summer volunteer positions available (don’t expect to be paid). Restate your interest in this professor’s work before signing off. Sometimes they will reply, sometimes they won’t, but a well written, respectful, and cogent email that mentions your specific interest in working with them will really help.
Since I’m in a STEM field, I can’t really speak to what you would do in a humanities type research situation, but I’m guessing it will be assisting others with background research and completing a small project of your own.
Good luck!
College professors typically use students from their universities not HS students. But you can follow the advice above and see if you get lucky.
For a few examples of things a student can do in a humanities area, my D had friends who did background research for a book a history prof. at the college was writing, another who did research on an anthropological study a professor was involved in, my D worked on research studies (doing background work as well as testing of participants) with two psychology professors – but all of them were students at the college at the time.
E-mailing them out of the blue is going to be a longshot. Try your family/friends connections. Odds are someone knows someone who can help you out.
Someone I know is a professor at NC central could that help?
Yes, that would be very helpful. If you are interested in their research, you can ask to work with them directly; otherwise, talk to them about your interests and ask if they can connect you with anyone in those fields. A professor will have a harder time saying no to a colleague than a random high school student.
Otherwise, cold-emailing professors is an option. Just bear in mind that you’ll likely have to send out many, many emails to get a response. In each email, introduce yourself, talk about your interest in their work, and ask if they are willing to take you on as a volunteer for the summer. Include your resume and keep the email concise. If they are willing, they’ll usually have a project/task for you in mind and will arrange a time to talk to you about it to make sure it is a good fit. Don’t worry about whether or not it “counts as an internship”. Research is a very worthwhile experience that you’ll gain a lot from just like you would from a different internship.