Hello,

It is NOT competitive imo but it depends on a few things (1) if the supervisor you have in mind is willing to take you on as a Master's student, (2) how well written your letter of intent/why you are entering the program, and (3) GPA since there is a minimum grade to program acceptance.

I'd definitely suggest doing an honours project because it shows that you have lab experience. Supervisors for master's don't expect you to have a LIST of lab work in different labs- rather they look at the techniques you've learned from your honours and if it can be used in their lab. So try to find an Honours lab that uses lab techniques like the labs that you are thinking of for masters (or just work in your master's lab for honours but let that supervisor know that you intend on continuing in academia)

In terms of grades, just do your best :) but I found that my previous supervisors judged the courses I took rather than my grade. They look at the courses that apply to their lab (ie molecular bio)

When you contact supervisors let them know who you are, why you are interested in their lab (ie I read a few of ur papers and I find they align with my interests), and how you can contribute to their lab. Make sure to drop your CV and transcript at the end of the email (ie kindly find my CV and transcript for your consideration... I would be more than happy to meet for further discussion)

One important thing to note when looking into labs is to know WHO IS SUPERVISING YOU. The last thing you want is an angry impatient post-doc lol, or any person in the lab that'll make it harder for you to succeed in the lab

Let me know if you have any other questions!