Anne,
I've spent 2 summers in the US. You don't need that much money to start. 1 summer I spent in San Francisco working in Nike world, and the other I spend in virginia working at a beach resort. In both cases i went over with very little money (mainly borrowed) worked hard for most of the summer and thn took 3-4 weeks exploring time. Most tourist spots look of rhundreds if not thousands of student workers every summer. Life is much easier if you have a friend or two to share with as it makes accomodation cheaper and gives you people to help support costs.
Good luck with whereever you decide on,
Paul.
