I don’t think there is any selective university in the country that disregards freshman grades. They are party of your GPA. In fact, for most students they are far more important than your senior year grades, especially if you are submitting your applications in the fall of your senior year before senior grades are even available.
That said, if your GPA is a weakness, most schools will look more kindly on an upward-trending GPA than a downward-trending one.