French student wishing to do nanoscience

[Zulily]

I am a French masters student that wants to do research in nanoscience. At this point, my first choice is a Canadian school but my professors back in France told me that, given that particular choice of a Canadian school (a Quebec one, mind you, in which case I would not cost them any more to take me on as a doctoral-level RA than if I was a local student), I should look at American schools also. Yet, here are some suggestions they made, given that I want to do experimental nanoscience, assuming that I would be able to stand up to the locals:

Maryland
Rice
Northwestern
Minnesota
WUSTL
Notre Dame

In France, the undergraduate program usually does not cover the material in that much depth so I am not sure how does a French 15-16/20 stacks up to American undergraduate grades. However, in Europe, it is possible to spend up to one year study abroad while in a masters program. So going to my first choice, in fact, amounts to returning to that very school I did my graduate-level study abroad in for a PhD.

As for my research experience: back in Montreal, I spent about four months full-time in a condensed matter experimental lab, plus an additional four months at my home university in experimental nanoscience. No papers from either.

Perhaps my professors assumed that I want to return to Montreal for my PhD because I had some problems with European PhD programs, when they suggested US schools... and I feel like my professors are of little help. Did they give me a nonsensical list of suggestions?

On the other hand, I have started studying for the physics GRE.

 

[Zulily]

Can I realistically get into one of the following schools for a PhD, doing experimental nanoscience research?

Maryland
Rice
Northwestern
Minnesota
WUSTL
Notre Dame

For the record, here's my file:

GPA: 15/20 (undergrad) 16/20 (masters)
Research experience: 4 months of experimental condensed matter in Montreal, 4 months of experimental nanoscience in Toulouse

I have to understand that not only I have to take the GRE (both general and physics), in Europe, the norm is to undertake a masters before a PhD (since European undergrad programs usuallly give little to no opportunity to do research). But am I on the right track?