Would my two research internships(one paid, one unpaid), be listed as an extracurricular activity or work experience on the common app? I’m very passionate about research and it is my most time-consuming activity. Since I want to major in something STEM-related, this would probably be a strong point in my app. If I put it as work experience, would it appear as if I only do it for the pay? Thanks.
I think these would categorize as work related experiences. Paid or unpaid, it is still work experience that is valuable to college admissions. It might not be labeled as an actual job, but it is work related. A lot of college admissions take internships into consideration when they see if you have any work experience. If the work that you do involves research then you should put it under extra curriculum, because this could suggest that you would want to do a Ph.D or something related to that in the future.