I recently heard that colleges only consider your grades in the 5 core subject areas (math, science, history, language arts, and world language). Does this mean they exclude the grades you get in your elective classes, even if they’re APs (like AP Comp Sci)? I’m not sure how true this is.
Some do. Some use core only. Some don’t. Some will re-weight grades. Some recalculate without weighting or use their own weighting. You need to ask each college what they do with grades.
Right. It’s more comon at certain publics. At top holistics, with a couple of exceptions, they’re looking primarily at your transcript, the actual detail. They don’t need to reweight.
And APCS is certainly considered an academic course.
Depends on the college.
For example, California publics recalculate GPA based on their required six core subject areas (the five you listed plus art or music) plus any academic electives (some of which may not necessarily be within the core subject areas, such as AVID and PLTW courses). Their weighting system also results in lower weighted(-capped) GPAs than most high school weighted GPAs, so do not overestimate your chances by comparing your high school weighted GPA to the recalculated GPA that California publics list in their frosh profiles.
AP CS courses are generally considered academic courses.
You’re going to hear a lot of things in the HS lunchroom. Few of them bear more than a glancing relation to truth.
The core subject areas are math, English, foreign language, science, and history/social studies, and colleges generally use only those to determine admission. But those are general categories that include any electives that would be an AP class such as comp sci. Courses typically not considered are things like physical education, health, vocational courses (e.g., word processing, bookkeeping), art and music (some like UC’s actually consider art and music and those may be considered for applicants seeking admission to an art or music program).