Some colleges place more emphasis on freshman grades than others. For example, highly selective colleges may give more weight to freshman grades because they want to ensure that students are prepared for the rigorous academic coursework. Less selective colleges may be more lenient with freshman grades, especially if you show improvement over time.
If you are applying to a competitive college, it is important to get good grades in your freshman year. This will demonstrate that you are capable of handling a challenging academic workload. However, if you do not get good grades in freshman year, do not panic. You can still improve your chances of getting into college by doing well in your sophomore year and showing a positive trend of improvement.
Ultimately, the best way to determine how much colleges care about freshman grades is to research the specific colleges you are interested in. You can find information about admissions requirements and criteria on college websites or by contacting the admissions office directly.