I just received my US History score today (5). While I'm certainly pleased with the score, I'm not entirely sure it holds much significance, either for proof of knowledge, or for a sense of satisfaction from doing well on a test.
For me, standardized tests don't actually demonstrate anything, nor do they provide me with any sense of accomplishment. If anything, the AP test has detracted from my experience in the classroom. In an effort to ensure a respectable score on the test, I haven't enjoyed the course as much as I would have liked to.
Granted, my US history educational experience wasn't great to begin with. My teacher was a near-moron, but nonetheless an interesting person. I often spaced-out during classes since there was little incentive to pay attention. Our tests were almost all based off of questions in a review book authored by Newman & Schmalbach, so my classmates would just trade answers immediately during tests. While I decided to use the school-issued American Pageant text instead of that particular book, I am still under the impression that the whole process was incredibly inefficient.
The most I've gained from my experience with this history class is the value of perspective. Being that many components of history are entirely subject to individual bias, one must look beyond that bias to see events as they occurred. This bias would plague me almost every week with our regular assessments. My teacher constantly took a narrow-minded approach to most topics, and I feel he sincerely discouraged many of my classmates in the process. However, I take a small amount of pride in the fact that my perpetual state of disagreement with him resulted in realizing the true purpose of studying history.
On paper, getting a five on your AP US History exam looks nice, but it doesn't mean much. While many universities may accept AP scores for credit, some of my top choices do not have reasonable policies. Taking a class on the subject hasn't helped me with the material; I still don't really know much about it, and probably never will.
My advice to future AP test-takers is as follows:
If you know that your school's AP programs are comprehensive and complete with competent teachers, AP classes are a great idea. If your school's program lacks in that regard, you will be better off independently studying the material. Bad teachers will often cause more harm than good in their attempt at teaching. Unless you're looking for such an experience, I would recommend taking a different class; it'll serve you better in the long-run.
Getting a 5 as a freshman, especially if this was your first AP test, is a pretty big accomplishment.