The Envelope

WRTV gained unprecedented access to a top-ranked, private university to give viewers a rare look behind the closed doors of the college admissions process. For eight months, Butler University allowed our cameras to record all parts of the admissions process, and five families welcomed us into their homes as high school seniors made the biggest decisions of their young lives.

What we witnessed reveals both the tension and the compassion that permeate this multi-million dollar college admission business. This unique project also provides high school students, their parents and their advisors an unusual look at how college admissions counselors really decide who receives the large envelope of acceptance and who receives the thin envelope of rejection.

"The Envelope" focuses on Butler as a microcosm of the struggles and efforts of college admissions across the country. WRTV believes in the power of explanatory journalism, and this special report shines a light on a usually hidden part of the community, breaks down common myths and provides a look inside the reality of the ivory towers. Butler University and the families wanted to be part of this effort to demystify the process. We walked viewers through the college admissions process, one step at a time, so they could avoid the mistakes so many others have made.

In a unique endeavor for a local television station, WRTV devoted months to documenting every aspect of the process. Ultimately, we condensed more than 100 hours of video and interviews with more than 20 people into the half-hour special.

In a unique endeavor for a local television station, "The Envelope" aired as a half-hour documentary on WRTV.