Spectacular school sensation Scott “Merf” Merfogel—a diligent worker—recently got accepted into the prestigious University of Michigan. Through months of hard work toward the goal of being accepted into his dream school, Scotty has been pertinacious in the pursuit of his dream.

You might know Mr. Merfogel as “Comrade,” “Scotty,” or even “Ogel,” Bethpage’s own is commonly seen walking the halls from class to class adorning a friendly smile and a warm demeanor. Scott is the embodiment of what makes Bethpage such a welcoming environment.

As many may know, Scott’s main focus of the past few months has been acceptance into the prestigious University of Michigan—for which Scott has been working incessantly. U Michigan boasts a twenty-six percent acceptance rate with the standards of a 1415 SAT and a 3.9 GPA—akin to Harvard’s 1520 and 4.1, respectfully.

So writes the University of Michigan’s Board of Admissions: “We know that there is great variation among our applicants’ personal circumstances, home communities, and high schools, including those schools’ course offerings and grading practices. As a result, our admissions process considers all aspects of your record and experience — we do not admit applicants solely on the basis of any single criterion. We value the whole record — excellent grades in rigorous courses, top ACT/SAT scores, participation in extracurricular activities, professional arts training, and evidence of leadership, awards, and service.”

All of these qualities are traits Scotty has exemplified incredibly, as evidenced by his acceptance. Below is an anecdote by Mr. Merfogel himself—depicting the trials and tribulations he experienced during his journey. It might even inspire someone, especially underclassmen, to work as diligently to achieve his or her dream.

Enjoy.

“Personally, the biggest and most daunting challenge of all when trying to be accepted was the countless amount of applicants that apply—from all around the world. Not to mention, in New York for the class of 2022 only around 1,600 kids were accepted. It is even more difficult to get into UM out of state. Outside of the very selective acceptance rate and the extraordinary students that Michigan desires, I did not believe I was going to get accepted at first due to my first SAT grade in December of 2017. I knew I needed to do a lot of work and dedicate hours bettering my craft and my confidence to ultimately achieve my dreams.

Another demanding challenge was ensuring that my college essay and supplemental essays were as good and genuine as possible. I had people from all different perspectives, backgrounds, and educations look over my essay and provide me with insight on how to improve it. This acceptance would not be possible without my teacher Mr. Malossi and my coach Mr. Como; these two men provided me with inspiration and a sense of ambition to better myself in all aspects. These two were a few of the many who inspired me to become more persistent, making me realize that an unsettling and impossible task can ultimately become possible. The biggest challenge other than the statistics and selectivity was me believing in myself. Once I knew I could do it, I ended up making me dream materialize into actuality.

I feel as if I have changed more in this past year than I have all my life. I have never dedicated myself more to achieve something. Ever since I was 3 years old I dreamed of going to The University of Michigan. Seeing it come true has provided me with a sense and belief that I can accomplish any task, regardless of the doubt, uncertainly, and opinions of other people. This acceptance has led me to become more self-confident and has made me feel that  aspirations and high hopes can transpire; I changed immensely in regards to my perspective on life. Life condones us to do whatever we want. We as a people can accomplish most everything we set our minds out to do. We just need to instill everything, and it will occur regardless of what others say.

I am confident that the College of Literature, Science, and The Arts will provide me with an outstanding liberal arts curriculum, stimulating my curiosity and continuing to push me out of my comfort zone. With a diverse academic foundation, I look forward to learning unique perspectives on the world and analyzing human behavior and culture through psychological, sociological, and economical lenses. Pairing this broad range of disciplines with my intended major of political science will best prepare me for my desired career path in law.

Moreover, the Colleges’ interdisciplinary approach to learning will force me to work beyond my limits, academically and interpersonally. Being in the liberal arts college on campus, I will have the privilege to take classes with students in the widest range of disciplines, and I hope we can learn from each other to facilitate each other’s success in college and beyond. This form of education fosters the highest level of creativity, a trait I will definitely utilize later in law school. With a cohort of some of the brightest peers in the country, I know success will not come easy now, yet success will be easier in the long run.

Ever since I was a young kid I dreamed of sitting in Michigan Stadium (The Big House) watching a football game. Ever since my dad told me about his amazing visit to the Big House after visiting his friend, I knew I needed to make my parents proud and one day be able to sit in that ubiquitous stadium. The University of Michigan will also help me to accomplish my career goals through its connections and partnerships with academic research, pre-professional clubs, and the remarkable Michigan alumni network. From researching governmental policy to joining the school’s debate team and attending speaker events, the College will encourage me to continue shaping my interest in politics and the law. I aim to make relationships with professors with research and reach out to alumni to learn from their experiences. I want to maximize the potential of my undergraduate education by learning ways to apply the lessons I learn in the classroom to real life problems and relevant internship opportunities. U of M is the #1 public university in the nation and if there is anywhere that can challenge me and improve me as an individual it is Michigan. Michigan presents an inviting community of curiosity, of acceptance, and of great achievement. Growing up, born premature at 26 weeks, as a red-haired Jewish boy, I felt different from those around me. However, as I grew older, I finally realized that different is good. Michigan takes “different” students from all over the globe and creates an environment of academic comfort and success. I’ve felt different my whole life—but now I feel ready for Ann Arbor.

Out of the applicants, I definitely feel like my GPA and SAT was definitely lower. My sat was around 100-150 points off the average and my gpa was a little bit under the average. Nonetheless, I knew my recommendations, supplemental essays, and college essay provided me with a good chance of getting admitted to the university. I also visited the school in late June of 2018 and I expressed interest with many emails, phone calls, and contact with the Long Island admissions counselor. I feel like I may have been a little lower in regards to statistics, but statistics are not the whole picture as my essays were genuine and showed how much Michigan meant to me. I really hope my story is the epitome of the notion that the SAT and GPA are not everything. You can still try and apply to very selective reach schools because the college process is very peculiar and arbitrary and you never know what is going to happen.”

Clearly, Scott is nothing but wholly deserving of his acceptance to U Michigan. Scott has worked incessantly to achieve acceptance to his dream school. He is someone who Bethpage should be proud to send off as he carries with him all the virtues and community values that make Bethpage such a welcoming environment. Scott is completely deserving of this honor and everyone should see Scott as a marker for the value of hard work.

An inspiration, a scholar, an athlete, a friend, University of Michigan 2023—Scott Merfogel.