How much do freshman grades truly matter?

<p>I'm an ED II applicant for Middlebury. My sophomore grades were were okay (3.7) and my junior year's perfect (4.0), but my freshman year was below the radar. Assuming that my senior year's scores fall somewhere in between 10th and 11th grade, should I really be concerned that I got a 3.5 as a 9th grader?</p>

<p>I might be able to provide insight since I was accepted EDI last Saturday :)</p>

<p>Of course, I didn't get any letter saying exactly what they saw in me or why the accepted me, but I would like to say that I don't believe it'll hurt your chances. Middlebury does its best to evaluate in the most holistic way possible, looking at overall rather than just nitpicking at little details. This is where I feel they may have wanted me--yes, my extracurriculars are not spectacular (I only really got into them this year) and I had a 5 regular classes and 1 honors class freshman year, but before I found out about my decision I was sure it wouldn't hurt me. If you improved over the years and really found a passion for something, that's what they want to see.</p>

<p>Plus, it's not like you can change the past anyway. Just accept your grades for whatever they are and focus on directing your application into a direction that you want them.</p>

<p>Congratulations, and thanks for the info!</p>