I have noticed that many students have done research as an extra curricular. What does this mean and what are some examples?
I did a research paper in my AP Physics 1 about kinetic energy and potential energy. I also have the paper to send them. Does this count or is it useful in my application?
A class paper is not an "extra"curricular. Do you really think adcoms will read it?
You’re talking about research papers as in looking up some sources and summarizing them into a class assignment. They’re talking about research papers as in creating original knowledge through academic research and then writing a paper about their findings – the type of thing that has an abstract and gets published in a journal.
Not the same kind of research, so don’t send the physics paper.
Even so, most research done by high school kids in outside settings is as a temporary junior assistant, not a major contributor. The kid isn’t curing cancer, just getting an opportunity in the milieu. Sometimes, they’re given some credit, but not for leading a long term project.
The validity is in going after that experience. Not for original work.
Don’t send your paper. At best, they won’t really look at it. If it makes you feel better, Myself and many of my classmates, even in STEM majors, did not do research before coming here.