Choose a country
If your CGPA is 3.7 and above, it becomes really easy to choose a country. Australia, Canada only needs high GPA and you won’t even need GRE most of the times. But you will need a score of 6.5 and above in IELTS. If your CGPA is lower, USA is the best bet.
MS/PH.D.
This can be really stressful to choose between MS/ Ph.D. Not everyone is up for dedicating their life to research but its hard to get a fund with MS.
IELTS/TOEFL
IELTS can be taken for any countries. People tend to take TOEFL when it comes to the USA. But IELTS or TOEFL both works for the USA. Preparing for a language test is way easier than preparing for graduate exams like GRE. So, I always recommend taking IELTS after taking GRE.
GRE
GRE is frightening. I remember I used to almost shiver at the thought of taking an exam that is 4 hours long and costs around $250. But preparation can get rid of the fear. And GRE will compensate for a low CGPA. You can get into one of the top universities with a very high GRE score (even if you have a low CGPA)
Choose a University
Choosing a university can be a lot of work. But I will be making this process really easy for you. Next month I will be coming up with an app that will help you choose a university according to CGPA, GRE, and IELTS/TOEFL score.
Start emailing Professors
Choose professors from your chosen university department and start applying. Read my article http://life-as-an-international.com/2018/02/17/how-i-got-333-replies-back-from-professors/ to get ideas for this step
Start your Application
If you get a positive reply from a professor, start your application. I always recommend applying to at least 5 universities. 3 medium profiles, 1 high profile and 1 low profile universities. Again my app will help you choose universities according to your profile
Applying for RA/TA/PA
Sometimes university application automatically considers you for a Graduate assistantship (Research assistantship, Teaching assistantship or project assistantship). But sometimes you have to fill other applications to be considered for that assistantship. Email Grad coordinator for questions like that