For students giving serious consideration to going to graduate school, having formal research experience is a major plus.  Most graduate programs in sociology are designed for students interested in doing research.  Therefore, if your resume shows that you have already had formal research experience, this greatly increases your chances for admission.

Working with a mentor at Hunter College is the easiest way to gain such experience.  However, another option to seriously consider is spending the summer (typically after your sophomore and/or junior year) engaging in paid research.  There are a number of such programs around the country. 

Among the advantages of participating are:

1. You get formal research experience.
2. Your graduate school application looks much more impressive.
3. The programs begin and end in eight to ten weeks during the summer.
4. If you want, you get to travel outside of NYC and meet other students doing research around the country.
5. These programs are typically free to you – the host school pays the tuition, travel, and housing.
6. They pay you to participate (a.k.a. a stipend).

Though varied across institutions, eligibility tends to be for those students who:

1. have complete their freshman year
2. have not completed their senior year
3. have a GPA of 3.4 or better
4. are seriously considering graduate school after their undergraduate career.

There are far too many such programs to list here.  However, this list of programs should get you started.

Good luck (smile).