How competitive is my profile for Waterloo's Master of Public Service (MPS)?

Hi everyone,

I am considering applying to the University of Waterloo's Master of Public Service (MPS) program for the upcoming intake and would appreciate some honest feedback from current students, alumni, or anyone familiar with the admissions process.

My background, in brief:

• Honours bachelor's degree and two master's degrees (Finance and Human Resource Management) completed outside Canada.
• My GPAs were in the 3.2 to 3.35 range. I also have a WES Educational Credential Assessment confirming Canadian bachelor's and master's equivalency. The university I attended has a fairly rigorous grading system, so I am not sure how my GPAs would compare with Canadian standards.
• Around eight years of professional experience in accounting and finance.
• Experience in both Canada's private sector and a government-owned organization overseas.
• My long-term goal is to build a career with the Ontario Public Service or the federal government.

I have a few questions:

1. Based on your experience, how competitive does a profile like mine sound for admission?
2. Does the MPS program place significant weight on relevant professional experience, or are academic results the primary factor?
3. How are international academic records generally assessed? Is the admissions committee familiar with differences in grading systems across countries, or are GPAs considered at face value?
4. The application requires three references, including at least two academic references. Has anyone who had been out of school for several years been admitted? Were academic references strictly required, or were exceptions made?
5. Has anyone spoken with an admissions advisor before applying to discuss whether their background was a good fit for the program? If so, was it helpful?
6. Since the application deadline is very close, does the program usually reach capacity before the deadline, or are late applications sometimes considered if there are still spots available?

I have already emailed the program with these questions, but I was hoping to hear about real-life experiences from current students, alumni, or applicants.

Thank you!