<p>I recommend the shot gun approach: email as many profs as possible that fit your interests, Stanford and Santa Clara. Having some idea as to what specifically in proton decay or particle physics is nice, but odds are you haven’t had the training to work the equipment yet (and if it’s theoretical, have you had the math for it?), let alone start running experiments and solving problems. Get trained and get some results first, before worrying about submitting in time to Intel ISEF (well, I guess there are more things you could submit to, but still). As I’ve learned in this summer, results in research don’t always come out. Sometimes, they never do. And beware, high school student is even lower than undergraduate in the lab hierarchy. </p>
<p>And if you’ve already had the background and understanding as a rising junior for particle physics . . . I guess I’ll read about you some day when you’ve won the Noble Prize for discovering Tachyons or something. :)</p>
<p>Good luck with your search!</p>