Does an AP World History Score of 4 help in getting into top colleges?

Answered

Getting a top grade in an AP course like an A-, A or A+ is more important than whatever you get on your AP test score. Ideally getting an A/A+ and a 5 means that you both were top students in your class and retained enough to show evidence of mastering the course content.

Context is everything. So if you are an applicant to a T40 college that has taken 10 APs, submitted 6 test scores, say 3 (5s) and 3(4s) or a 4.5 average and got As in those classes, that looks impressive.

Now if you only took 5 APs when your school offered 20, got B+ s in the classes and submitted 3 APs test scores of 1(4), 2(3)s, that puts on another standard if that makes any sense to you.

The first person probably is most likely a top 5% student, has been awarded the AP Scholars of Distinction Award, and most likely has other impressive ECs or awards or honors. The second student might be a top 10% or top 1st Quartile student, with limited awards and honors as reflected by their lower GPA and course rigor.

But since no admissions officer isolates a single AP Test score to evaluate its merits on its own I would hesitate to answer in the affirmative that World History 4 is going to add a measurable impact on your T40 college decision.

Hope that helps answer your question.