hi ,
congrats on a perfect score.
here are some details on zeroing on your univ
1)regarding choice of schools: check out www.allengineeringschools.com you can find a univ offering ur specialisation based on popularity ,location,and accredition
2) sop ,recos very important esp if ur app ing to top schools.
since u have work exp in related field, that inc ur chances of getting RA
make sure to include in ur resume all projects done on vlsi till date.this helps the admissions comitee in deciding RA in your favour.
3)grt recos from an ordinary prof much better than ordinary ones from a grt prof. also since u ve been wrking..recos from employer extremely imporatnt.
give ur resume to ppl ,whom ur asking for references , so that they have an idea of your goals and objectives.that helps them write objectively abt you n ur wrk.lastly ask them to subtly mention ur negative points as well.
hope this helps
all the very best