<p>My S is a rising sophomore and would like to have some tips on having a productive summer vacation. He is going to take some online courses at a local community college. Apart from that, he would like to get involved in some kind of research activity. Any tips on how to start that? Any other tips for productive summer?</p>
<p>Finding a research spot this close to summer may be difficult. The only thing I can think of is to try e-mailing researchers at a local university if he can.</p>
<p>I agree with sushi_lub. Your son can also get a job during the summer, which looks great on college apps; he can also start volunteering over the summer to get extra hours, and can even start devoting his time to one or more organizations that way.</p>