FalloutCoversEverything

I also just did a quick google and I found this post on THE MFA BLOG:
http://creative-writing-mfa-handbook.blogspot.com/2010/10/graphic-novel-and-mfa.html
Ohio State, Michigan, UNC- Wilmington (but you can basically add any major college to this list, especially of the public variety): graphic novels are a quickly growing / popular critical discipline.

Lynda Berry teaches at UW - Madison and is associated with the creative writing program. Brian Evenson at Cal Arts is open to graphic novel work (is a fan of it). I'm sure there are many others, but those are two that I'm specifically aware of. I suspect people at Alabama's program, or Brown's fiction program, might be open to graphic novel work as well. That said, I wouldn't limit yourself based on that criteria specifically. If you can put together a solid writing sample in either realist or experimental fiction (or poetry or nonfiction, which are less competitive in terms of admission) and include some samples of your graphic work, you might find a lot to love in programs that don't directly cater to graphic novel writing. Many schools are going to have great illustration programs that you'll be able to take courses in as well as literature courses that focus on the graphic novel / manga as a medium. There is the "comics college," or CCS, but it isn't funded, and you're probably better off just doing a summer program there while at another MFA. Like, programs many programs have 3 years funding (Minnesota, LSU, Alabama), summer grant opportunities, and you might be able to pull additional funding to specifically attend CCS for a couple of weeks. You'll also learn a lot  about narrative or poetic construction (depending on your genre) that you'll be able to apply to your graphic novel / manga work. In most programs, there's definately space to take something like and illustration course every semester. So, if that's your thing, go for it. Don't let the specifics of the program being focused on graphic novel work stop you from getting the time/space/funding to do your work. It wouldn't hurt to apply to some programs that lean toward that, but if you can pull a sample that stretches beyond that in terms of your primary writing sample, you'll open yourself up to a lot more opportunities. Apply widely to funded programs where you can find illustration programs / graphic novel courses. See what happens.

I took a break from the forums. But, if you want to find out where to publish things, sign up for Duotrope. If you feel your work is relatively polished, send it out to a large number of place (unless they say "no simultaneous submissions"). 

If things work out this year in terms of being accepted, you may get something like a teaching assistantship. If you just get a scholarship, you can send an email to schools seeing if they can give you more funding--especially if you have multiple offers. State/public schools often will be able to do things like give in state tuition remission (it's worth asking for if they don't offer it up front). Schools often have scholarships / fellowships held in reserve for some candidates.
That said, if you want funding (if funding is very important to you) my suggestion is to look for programs that have graduate teaching assistantships and to apply to as many of those as possible (like extend your list out more if possible... there are likely some state schools with good programs that need students to fill GTAs). In almost all cases, with the exception of merit/diversity fellowships, this is the best way to get funded. Not only will you get funding/scholarship, you'll likely get all of your tuition covered and a living stipend.
 

Ah, don't worry so much about it. Based on my workshop experience there's a chance there will be some "poopy" personalities at your MFA, and most likely you won't even know during the visit if that is going to happen or not. Regardless, go with with a resilient attitude. You're there to write and to work on getting published. 

Huge congrats!!!!!

Don't go to an unfunded PhD. Work on your application and reapply next year to more schools. Period. If you're having a hard time getting into PhDs, maybe consider applying to some funded MA programs as well. You'd be much better off going to a funded MA program and then onto a PhD that you would be taking out all of that debt.

If you love the program and you're fully funded, maybe just go and don't worry about regrets? Especially if you really feel like you need a change of pace in your life/work. That said, if you have a comfortable job and feel like you'll be able to push yourself as a writer and get into a better program, maybe apply next year. My feeling is that waiting might be good in some cases in terms of how you'll do "in the long term" as a writer. If you do the reading / prep you say you're planning on doing (and maybe do a summer/local workshop) I suspect you'll be better prepared to go into an MFA program and kick ass even more. That said, you can always just go to the MFA program and then work on applying to fellowships / phd programs at the tail end if you still feel like you need time (to finish that novel, to work on the next thing, to just have more time to be a better writer).

(1) ask if you can defer admission at the one program you got into. (2) yes, you will most certainly do better next go around, especially if you are seriously working on your application materials (write new things, have people look at the stories you decide on, edit everything a lot, etc.), especially if you apply to more places. 
 

Wait. Don't worry about being waitlisted or feeling weird about being on the waitlist. There are so many applicants: they want to work with you, they just had to make a semi-arbitrary order out of the people accepted. If you might go over the deadline slightly, email both programs and be open about your situation. I suspect they'll be willing to be accommodating. 

Yeah, with some of the schools (especially the NYC schools now) I'm just like why did I apply there. NYU especially (I'm learning more and more about how little funding they actually have after being waitlisted and seeing the large number of people who've received poorly funded offers). I wish I hadn't wasted the money. If I get rejected from Columbia (or accepted without funding), fine. At least I know they have 10 funded spots. That said, that guy in the posts above is making me super skeptical of Columbia at the moment. Heh. But it's a huge program so I'm sure there are great people too. But, jeez, what an asshole.

@gratzby This is definately a thing. Also, think about how you're selling yourself. If you're selling yourself as "I don't think I'd get in anywhere and there isn't much unique about me" you're hurting your chances from the outset. If you're from a "not top tier school" as an undergrad, that's FINE for MFA programs. Write good poems/stories. Read good contemporary literature. You'll be fine. You probably have interesting poems/experiences to write. One of the coolest things about MFA programs is that they aren't almost exclusively full of people with degrees from east coast private liberal arts colleges or handful of highly ranked public schools (like many top Literature PhDs are). All sorts of people can MFA.
=) But, seriously, I think applying to a variety of schools IS the financially viable thing to do. Applying widely insures that you have a chance of not wasting all of that application money and are on your way, moving forward. Some schools have things like fee waivers, and I believe it is free to apply to Vanderbilt. Maybe let school application fees slightly play into where you apply, if necessary. But, yeah, it is worth applying as widely as possible. It SERIOUSLY could mean the difference between 10k a year and 25k a year, or some more minor variation of that. Or it could be the difference between a funded offer and no offer at all. The 1-2k that you have to put down on the applications is worth it in comparison. 
 
::HUG::

Why oh why?! Don't you know there's such a thing as being too hot to handle?! You might be "too much" for the lowly programs. Seriously, though, a friend who is in a completely different field once told me about her grad school application experience and it struck me. We talk a lot about how our CW applications are subject to so much subjectivity. My friend is in the hard sciences, typical overachieving, straight A person. When she applied for her PhD, she was rejected by the lowly ones and was accepted by a top program. The theory goes: when some schools see that you have an awesome application packet and can get into programs with better rating/better money/better city/etc...they assume you're going to reject their offers anyway, so why waste their time/breath kind of situation emerges. I learned from her experience and distributed my applications across rankings: went for some top tier, some mid level and some that are nowhere on the rankings. Got admitted to a top ten ranked program (that I had marked as a potential rejection) with full funding, got rejected by another (that I also had marked as a rejection) today.
@icantanymoresorry about the rejections. But this forum has all kinds of uplifting stories that basically mean one thing: the damn thing is unpredictable af. If you want to be a writer, be a writer. MFAs help, sure. But only you decide if you want to be a writer; they don't get a say over that, thank goodness! And if you want to take advantage of an MFA, apply again next year and apply to as many schools as you can. Definitely more than three, though. As for the credit cards, nothing will take away your fear of being in the red as much as being stuck in the red for a while because you simply don't have a choice.  I didn't even have a job when I applied to eleven schools and paid a total of a thousand bucks for applications and transcripts. This is not a financial advice, so please don't take it. Just putting it out there. Listen to @FalloutCoversEverything.
Now, WHERE IN THE HELL IS MY HUG, YOU BASTIDS?! I used my Brown rejection to solicit all kinds of hugs today! 

Yeah, I wouldn't really recommend anyone do an NYC MFA, unless they have no dependents and the stipend is somehow enough to live on--which I'm not sure any NYC MFA stipend is.

Congrats!!!

Congraaaaats! On a Saturday too! Go out and celebrate (or whichever way you do your celebrations)!

Well, I just got a fully funded offer in the mail! Proof that it is never too late.

Well, I just got a fully funded offer in the mail! Proof that it is never too late.

HAHA JK just got my rejection letter  dude I'm so cool with it though

As @DangerDetective said a lot of acceptances have already been posted. That said, there's a chance for a waitlist. One was posted in the results as having been received via email, but usually more than one makes it up (and they are usually received via postal service).
Re: mailing: Where'd you hear that? I'd assume there'd be some postal mail rejections posted by now (I'm sure some people in Iowa applied). That said, they might have to go through some processing on campus before actually making it to the postal service. 

That's what my mentor suggested too. But while I was happy to haggle with Nissan when I held up Toyota's offer and ended up getting 0% APR and all kinds of discounts on a young credit, this just didn't feel right.  You can't force someone to be more enthusiastic about working with you. They either see your potential or they don't. The folks at the other Program that made me that awesome offer obviously see my potential and the ways in which they can help me develop it. That's good for me. Chemistry is important as we look for the sort of guidance we need as budding writers. That's what I should be going after instead of chasing the clouds. I think.  

Received a kind formal rejection from NWP. Goodbye to my UT Austin dreams.

Yeah, I've definately spent more time worrying about that the last few days than I have worrying about applications. 

Also, this is officially my favorite results posting so far:
 

Apply in both? I know at places like University of Minnesota people are able to take classes across genres. If that's the case, why not apply in CNF to a handful of programs that allow that / are funded. Your chances of getting admitted as a CNF applicant are much higher.