Does freshman year matter for college applications?

Hey y'all, so I'm just a high school junior and this question has been bugging me - does your freshman year of high school actually have a big impact on college admissions? Or do colleges mostly look at your grades and involvement in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade?

Yes, your freshman year of high school does indeed have an impact on college admissions. While it's true that colleges often place a slight emphasis on the grades and involvement from your junior and senior years, this doesn't mean your freshman year is insignificant.

Firstly, your freshman year grades contribute to your cumulative GPA which colleges look at when reviewing your transcript. If your freshman year grades were less than stellar, and you've shown a consistent improvement in your grades since then, colleges might see this as a positive demonstration of growth and persistence.

Secondly, your freshman year is when you're beginning to explore various interests and activities. The activities you start in your freshman year often set the course for the rest of your high school career, and a long-term commitment to a few select extracurriculars is something colleges appreciate seeing. In fact, colleges prefer to see a deep, sustained commitment to a smaller number of activities (referred to as "spiking") that demonstrate a passion and expertise, rather than superficial participation in a large number of clubs or activities.

In essence, colleges appreciate seeing a four-year snapshot of your high school experience, and your freshman year is part of this picture. It's a formative year that can set the trajectory for the remainder of your high school career. So, to answer your question, freshman year definitely does matter in college admissions!