Suzette100,
I am one of the lucky new admits to HKS MC/MPA Mason program. I have over 14 years of civil service experience in international relations field. During my professional career I was assigned to different positions as head of political section of the Embassy, Spokesperson for the Ministry, head of Information department, etc.
Apart from professional experience / background their decision also depends greatly on how you managed to present yourself in your essays and show your vast experience, commitment to public service, personal input to the public interest and leadership potential.
I also think that regional representation did matter. I mean the Admissions Office is keen to keep fair regional representation.
Since I presume there are many applicants from China and India (just because of the size of their population) competition amongst them far too severe than amongst applicants from underrepresented regions (for example South Caucasus, Central Asia). Hope this clarifies a bit.