<p>OK, arranging an independent internship is probably not quite as easy as I made it sound. First, it would be kind of unprofessional to back out of an internship to attend another summer program, so I would be sure you can make a full-time commitment before you contact anyone (and if you can continue to work in the lab part-time during the school year, that’s a plus). You probably need to be a rising junior or senior who’s already taken high-level (AP or equivalent) science courses and completed some previous research projects. Instead of just emailing a bunch of professors asking if they have openings, try to focus your search on professors doing research on specific topics you find interesting. You should read up on their past and current projects, usually available on the school’s web sites (or just google their names, a lot of the papers and findings are published online). It helps if you can show documented experience in that field through previous projects, and you’ll probably have to go in for an interview before you’re accepted as an intern.</p>
<p>If you’re younger or don’t have much research experience, you might want to try a formal summer program first, or maybe enroll in a college-level science course at Harvard’s Secondary School Program or another local university. But for the right student, an independent internship under a professor can be a more rewarding experience than even the most prestigious formal summer program.</p>