Yes, you need to have an OPT to do summer internships, but of course there are ways to get around it. First of all, be friends witih people whom you need, especially the international student advisor. They could prove invaluable. As others have already pointed out, ifyou can somehow get credits for the internship you do, then you don't have to apply for the OPT; you can get away with the CPT, which your college should issue without having to deal with the INS. It does not cost money, and it doesn't take long too. But to get credits from the internship, you have to be again friends with professors from related departments. Believe me, this works, even if the job you do is not that related to any course offered by the department.