acceptmepls

They entered in my specialization today! And my status has changed from “Recommended for Assessment” to “Review in Progress By Department”. Hoping this is a good sign! 

Just to expand on this: I wrote the first draft of my Statement of Intent focusing on the prestige of NPSIA and my future career goals (liberal internationalism, "golden age of Canadian foreign policy," you get the picture). I showed it to a few friends - beyond a few grammatical changes, no major revisions needed, in their eyes. I showed it to one of my academic references - a change or two, but no major changes. I felt great about what I wrote and thought I was a shoo-in. 
Well, I showed my statement to my other reference, who sent me back comments with no fewer than four paragraphs needing to be deleted, and the remainder being scratched heavily. We worked on my statement together afterwards, but his main advice was: NPSIA is a research school, so focus on research, and the skillset you have that would lead to strong research. Think of your statement as if you were applying to a research position: what experience do you have that will make you a strong candidate, and what drives you to want to attend the school?
Here is a brief outline of my Statement:
P.1.: introduction/personal background 
P.2.: research experience #1 (fourth-year research paper I wrote)
P.3.: research experience #2 (third-year research paper)
P.4.: professional experience (identify the skills you have gained here that would serve you well)
P.5.: objectives (what courses do you want to take? Be specific, down to the course code. What do you hope to accomplish at school? I.e. internships)
P.6.: conclusion (here, I expanded on future career goals briefly)
I don't think a weak statement would keep an otherwise strong applicant from being accepted, but I do believe a statement where you present yourself as an asset to the school can significantly boost your application. My GPA was not phenomenal, nor do I have international experience. I truly believe aligning my statement with the school's interests, and making my statement about the work itself, made my case much stronger. 
Hopefully this helps, OP!

This is very similar to the process I went through as well and indeed, you have summed it up very well! One thing I wanted to add for OP and highlight the value NPSIA places on grades, was a coversation I had with a very senior member of the administration. During the conversation I was told that, ".. your CGPA is an A-, which would put you in a good position to gain admission. While it also depends on the pool of applicants but your chances of getting in are good."

I hope it help, OP. It may also be worthwhile to reach out to the admin team around June/July as I guess they would have a bit more time to discuss the application and steps one can take to strengthen it. I reached out to a couple of programs and they were fairly helpful and supportive. Please feel free to PM for anything, if needed.

Just to expand on this: I wrote the first draft of my Statement of Intent focusing on the prestige of NPSIA and my future career goals (liberal internationalism, "golden age of Canadian foreign policy," you get the picture). I showed it to a few friends - beyond a few grammatical changes, no major revisions needed, in their eyes. I showed it to one of my academic references - a change or two, but no major changes. I felt great about what I wrote and thought I was a shoo-in. 
Well, I showed my statement to my other reference, who sent me back comments with no fewer than four paragraphs needing to be deleted, and the remainder being scratched heavily. We worked on my statement together afterwards, but his main advice was: NPSIA is a research school, so focus on research, and the skillset you have that would lead to strong research. Think of your statement as if you were applying to a research position: what experience do you have that will make you a strong candidate, and what drives you to want to attend the school?
Here is a brief outline of my Statement:
P.1.: introduction/personal background 
P.2.: research experience #1 (fourth-year research paper I wrote)
P.3.: research experience #2 (third-year research paper)
P.4.: professional experience (identify the skills you have gained here that would serve you well)
P.5.: objectives (what courses do you want to take? Be specific, down to the course code. What do you hope to accomplish at school? I.e. internships)
P.6.: conclusion (here, I expanded on future career goals briefly)
I don't think a weak statement would keep an otherwise strong applicant from being accepted, but I do believe a statement where you present yourself as an asset to the school can significantly boost your application. My GPA was not phenomenal, nor do I have international experience. I truly believe aligning my statement with the school's interests, and making my statement about the work itself, made my case much stronger. 
Hopefully this helps, OP!

Finally received my NPSIA acceptance today! Got offered my first choice with a generous funding package. 
My background: 
BA honours at Carleton in Political Science, minor in History, 10.80 GPA. Two research projects nominated for undergraduate awards, both in Canadian history. A in ECON1000 (back when the course was a full credit and a year long). 
Just over a year of work experience for the CRA in business analysis. I also volunteer for and attend constituent hours with my MP. 
References were strong, both from prominent figures at Carleton (one having supervised a number of NPSIA professors himself). 
This is subjective, but I feel I had a strong Statement of Intent that I worked quite extensively with one of my references on.
For those currently at NPSIA, can anyone comment on the prospect of working full-time while attending school? I'm hoping to continue working while taking a slightly-reduced course load. 
Best of luck to anyone still waiting, and I look forward to meeting some or all of you in the fall!  

Finally received my NPSIA acceptance today! Got offered my first choice with a generous funding package. 
My background: 
BA honours at Carleton in Political Science, minor in History, 10.80 GPA. Two research projects nominated for undergraduate awards, both in Canadian history. A in ECON1000 (back when the course was a full credit and a year long). 
Just over a year of work experience for the CRA in business analysis. I also volunteer for and attend constituent hours with my MP. 
References were strong, both from prominent figures at Carleton (one having supervised a number of NPSIA professors himself). 
This is subjective, but I feel I had a strong Statement of Intent that I worked quite extensively with one of my references on.
For those currently at NPSIA, can anyone comment on the prospect of working full-time while attending school? I'm hoping to continue working while taking a slightly-reduced course load. 
Best of luck to anyone still waiting, and I look forward to meeting some or all of you in the fall!  

Finally received my NPSIA acceptance today! Got offered my first choice with a generous funding package. 
My background: 
BA honours at Carleton in Political Science, minor in History, 10.80 GPA. Two research projects nominated for undergraduate awards, both in Canadian history. A in ECON1000 (back when the course was a full credit and a year long). 
Just over a year of work experience for the CRA in business analysis. I also volunteer for and attend constituent hours with my MP. 
References were strong, both from prominent figures at Carleton (one having supervised a number of NPSIA professors himself). 
This is subjective, but I feel I had a strong Statement of Intent that I worked quite extensively with one of my references on.
For those currently at NPSIA, can anyone comment on the prospect of working full-time while attending school? I'm hoping to continue working while taking a slightly-reduced course load. 
Best of luck to anyone still waiting, and I look forward to meeting some or all of you in the fall!  

It is! Congratulation.. my offer came in a couple of hours, once the specialization was updated. Looks like you are good to go!

Specialization changed to show my top choice; I don't want to jump the gun before a letter comes, but this would appear to be a good sign! 

Specialization changed to show my top choice; I don't want to jump the gun before a letter comes, but this would appear to be a good sign! 

Specialization changed to show my top choice; I don't want to jump the gun before a letter comes, but this would appear to be a good sign! 

Not that I applied to Munk (NPSIA only), but these night-time acceptances have officially validated my obsession with checking Carleton Central every hour. 

Not that I applied to Munk (NPSIA only), but these night-time acceptances have officially validated my obsession with checking Carleton Central every hour. 

Not that I applied to Munk (NPSIA only), but these night-time acceptances have officially validated my obsession with checking Carleton Central every hour. 

Not that I applied to Munk (NPSIA only), but these night-time acceptances have officially validated my obsession with checking Carleton Central every hour. 

Not that I applied to Munk (NPSIA only), but these night-time acceptances have officially validated my obsession with checking Carleton Central every hour. 

Not that I applied to Munk (NPSIA only), but these night-time acceptances have officially validated my obsession with checking Carleton Central every hour. 

Just got my acceptance as well. Best wishes to everyone waiting. 

Just got my acceptance to Munk!!! Good luck to all still waiting 

We're moving! Application has progressed from "Recommended for Assessment" to "Review in progress by department". Good luck to all; looks like the wheels are in motion this week!

We're moving! Application has progressed from "Recommended for Assessment" to "Review in progress by department". Good luck to all; looks like the wheels are in motion this week!

We're moving! Application has progressed from "Recommended for Assessment" to "Review in progress by department". Good luck to all; looks like the wheels are in motion this week!

We're moving! Application has progressed from "Recommended for Assessment" to "Review in progress by department". Good luck to all; looks like the wheels are in motion this week!

We're moving! Application has progressed from "Recommended for Assessment" to "Review in progress by department". Good luck to all; looks like the wheels are in motion this week!

We're moving! Application has progressed from "Recommended for Assessment" to "Review in progress by department". Good luck to all; looks like the wheels are in motion this week!