Please provide recommendation to apply for research program in biology / pre-med for graduating high school senior.
I think the best and only way to secure a research thing for a new HS graduate is by reaching out to people doing research to see if they might welcome this kid.
Keep in mind, a first time “research assistant” in a lab is likely to be doing things like feeding creatures, and the like.
What does this student hope to be doing.
My daughter got several research positions when she was a high school senior just by cold contacting professors at local-ish universities who were working in areas of interest to her. Keep in mind, she got far more nos (or ignores) than she got yeses…But she did get a few yeses and had a great experience (even got her name on a peer-reviewed publication which later led to a conference presentation). She also was able to get a research internship at a local government bio lab spring semester of senior year (and is still working there now as a college freshman). Again, expect most people to either ignore you or politely decline. But that’s ok, because you really only need one or two to work out.
And yes…the student needs to be the one reaching out!