<p>They do count freshman year. I would say you need to first compare to the other applicants from your school. If another applicant from your school has always gotten straight A’s, has a 4.5 or 4.6 weighted, then you may be out of luck. Of course, essays, recs, Extra Curriculars, test scores, and many other factors are a part of the application process. But these grades are key! Three kids applied from my school; only I got in. I had nearly a 4.60 (weighted GPA) when I applied ED, and the other two had a 4.40-4.45 (weighted GPA). We all had similar scores, though some argue I had better ECs/recs/essays. But bottom line—that transcript is key. As an admissions officer I spoke with once said to me, “The transcript is the first document we look at”.</p>