Regardless of whether you are a freshman or senior in high school, you may be wondering, does freshman year matter for college admissions? And if so, do colleges look at freshman-year grades?
While it’s true that colleges consider your junior year grades the most seriously, your freshman year is still incredibly important. This is because your freshman year sets the foundation for the rest of your high school experience. That said, college admissions officers are more likely to view your freshman year, particularly your freshman year grades, with a bit more leniency than other years.
So, do colleges care about freshman year? The short answer is yes. Colleges want to see how much progress you’ve made throughout your high school career. They also want to see how much you’ve been willing to challenge yourself — both academically and in terms of extracurricular involvement.
Why is freshman year important?
Freshman year sets the foundation for your high school experience. Succeeding in your freshman year means that there will be more opportunities available to you later on. This is why freshman year is so important. Thankfully there is a lot of advice for high school freshmen to help you succeed!
How well you perform in classes during freshman year determines which classes you are eligible to take in the future. Your grades will also affect your overall high school GPA. While you will certainly have time to bump up your GPA if need be, it’s important to remember that your cumulative GPA is an important college admissions factor — especially if you want to attend an Ivy League college.
What else do colleges look at your freshman year for? Extracurricular involvement! Colleges want to admit passionate students who are involved in their communities and are able to demonstrate leadership skills in high school.
Ideally, colleges want to see students who have committed to extracurricular activities during all four years of high school. This is because colleges want to see evidence that students are dedicated to their interests and willing to put in the time and effort to engage meaningfully with their communities.
Do colleges look at freshman grades?
Colleges understand that freshman year is an adjustment. This is why college admissions officers are more likely to view your freshman year “holistically.” This means that in addition to looking at your freshman year grades, colleges will also take into account whether or not your grades have increased since your freshman year and whether or not you’ve enrolled in challenging classes. In other words, holistic college admissions take lots of factors into account beyond just your high school transcripts.
So, do freshman-year grades matter? And do Ivy League colleges look at freshman-year grades? Let’s take a closer look at how college admissions officers assess an applicant’s academic capabilities and potential:
Academic trends
So do colleges care about your freshman year? Colleges care about whether or not you are willing and able to challenge yourself by taking increasingly difficult courses and consistently earning higher grades. In other words, colleges look at academic trends.
This means that even if your freshman year grades weren’t the best, you still have time to increase your grades and, with it, your chances of attending your dream school! On the flip side, if you perform well your freshman year but aren’t able to maintain your grades, colleges will not be impressed.
Overall, colleges are much more likely to view a bad grade with leniency if you got it your freshman year — junior year, not so much!
Overall GPA
Realistically, how much do freshman grades matter? While college admissions officers may forgive a few bad grades during your freshman year, these grades do still factor into your overall high school GPA. Do colleges look at freshman year GPA? Not necessarily. They will, however, take your overall GPA heavily into account.
Evidence of course rigor
Another key academic component colleges take into account is how challenging your courses are and how willing you are to challenge yourself. Taking advanced classes demonstrates dedication, maturity, and perseverance. It also helps prove that you are capable of completing college-level work. This is why the importance of course rigor is a vital college admissions factor. If you’re curious about how many AP classes you should be taking, talk to your teachers, parents, and guidance counselor about what a reasonable goal is for you. You may also want to refer to our article, List of AP Classes and Highest Passing Rates.
What if your freshman year grades are low?
So what if you struggled during your freshman year; do your freshman grades matter? If you performed poorly during your freshman year, make every effort to increase your grades moving forward.
Ask your teachers if they have additional resources that could help you. Talk to your high school guidance counselor about forming good study habits. Find out if your school has a tutoring program. Review our tips on staying organized in high school.
There could be several causes why your academics suffered freshman year. Maybe the classes you took were too challenging. If this is the case, be more mindful of the actual workload you can handle in the future. Maybe you had personal challenges or challenges at home. Regardless of the underlying cause, the main takeaway is that there is always time to improve!
Documenting extenuating circumstances in your college applications
Even if you struggled during your sophomore, junior, or senior year, there are still ways to address periods of poor academic performance in your college applications. For example, if you or a family member experienced an illness or personal tragedy, you may want to write about it in the “Additional Information” section of your college application.
Alternatively, you can ask your high school guidance counselor to address these challenges in their letter of recommendation. In fact, some schools prefer to hear about extenuating circumstances from guidance counselors rather than from the students themselves. That said, use your best judgment! And remember, if you experienced a period of hardship, colleges are more interested in seeing how you were eventually able to recover from these circumstances and demonstrate resilience.
Key takeaways and moving forward
Do colleges care about freshman grades? Yes, but not as much as they care about other factors, such as evidence of course rigor and extracurricular involvement. Remember this when you are trying to contextualize how much freshman year matters. Even if you struggled during your freshman year, there is still time to get back on track. In the meantime, if you feel like you could benefit from professional guidance and further college preparation, reach out to learn more about our services.
