phd apllied maths US/Zurich:: advice

[herewego]

Dear all,

I am graduating in engineering (MEng, general eng., electrical eng., computer science) and applied maths (MS) in good institutions in France. I am also holding bachelor in Economics (honours). I have GPA 3.8 for bachelor, 4.0 in master of engineering if I consider major only. GRE general is bad: Q770, V550, A3.5. I am sitting the maths test later.

I would like to have some advice about application to grad school in the USA and in Zurich: I have been admitted in Stanford MS&E for 2011 (and deferred entry to 2012). However I made up my mind this year for further applied math and CS studies, and I now consider a research job later in the field (in industry lab). I have no idea where I can apply: I have no serious research background: only a few school projects (3 for bachelor, 2 of them with poor 13/20 results, 3 for masters, one of them only being really significant), one semester on a research project in a field I dont wish to study in my grad studies, in a firm. Should I wait before application to gain research/industry R&D experience? Or is it relevant to apply for master and then phd studies without lab research? What could be chances to enter ms program in CS or applied maths at ETHZ, or ICME at Stanford? Can I decently send an application to Cornell/Berkeley? Would it be better idea to go to Stanford and ask for transfer?

Next academic year I will most probably not be enrolled in an academic program. But I still have the opportunity to apply for MS in CS in France before Sept. I have also a research opportunity at Max Planck institute as RA with funding ; do you think Master is more valuable than research exp. and would you advice go work as a RA outside from a thesis program? Would it be significant as well to find a position as a R&D engineer? Finally, are universities likely to offer a position as a RA outside a master program, just for a gap year?

Sincerely,

H.