<p>So now that all of my applications are finished I am starting to think about what to do this summer. I suppose I could get a job waitressing or hosting at a restaurant but I would like to do something more fun (my past three summers have been action packed, out of the country adventures)</p>
<p>I would love to do a really cool internship abroad or something like that but I dont know where to look. Does anyone have any ideas for me? I speak spanish very well and Chinese okay (i'm not asian) so i'd love to do something with languages.</p>
<p>Assuming you'll be 18 by the summer, you could try to teach English in China. Normally, schools will give you housing, board, and a small stipend in return for assisting with a few classes. You aren't usually the teacher--just the English 'pronouncer,' so it can be fairly low stress if you get the right school. </p>
<p>If you're into action, you could do what I did and work as a whitewater raft guide. Most of the big outfitters out West will give you basic housing and a decent salary for a summer of work. Never a dull moment and some good tips.</p>
<p>samonite, do you know any specific programs for teaching english in china that actually pays you? I'd love to go to China this summer, what's with the Olympics and everything, but it seems that everyone I know who have taught English in China have gotten the position through some family connections. I don't have any contacts in China, so I'd love to be able to apply for the positions online or in paper. If anyone has any sources, that'll be great :)</p>
<p>Contact companies organizations in your area that may be looking for summer help. I've known students to get jobs in advertising, lab research, and other fields simply because they volunteered to work for free or really cheap. Pick entities that relate to your fields of interest if you can.</p>
<p>You probably won't score a prestigious internship in your pre-frosh summer, but if you can get something worthwhile it will definitely be a leg up when you look for opportunities in college. (E.g., one student I know got a lab job counting mosquitoes and collecting traps. Not glamorous or sophisticated, but when she arrived at college she already had college lab experience in her background. She picked up a work-study lab job during the school year, which in turn set her up for some really good summer internships later.)</p>
<p>The key thing to remember is that ANY relevant experience you can obtain will help you up the next rung of the ladder. Plus, you should be able to score a reference/recommendation that will help with future applications.</p>