Advise on profile and possible schools?

[Ri_mann_zeta]

Hello! I am an international (Indian) female planning to apply to the US for pure math PhD in 2023. It would be great if anyone could please suggest me possible schools to apply to (if there are any at all for my not-so-nice profile ). GPA is my main worry (affected during covid due to difficulties with studying at home).

Undergrad Institution: Foreign large public school (India)
Major(s): Mathematics
Minor(s): N/A
GPA: 2.87 out of 4.00 (converted)
Math GPA:
Type of Student: International (Indian), Female

GRE Revised General Test: Did not take
Q: xxx (xx%)
V: xxx (xx%)
W: x.x (xx%)
GRE Subject Test in Mathematics: Did not take
M: xxx (xx%)

TOEFL Score: (115 = R30/L30/S27/W28)

Program Applying: Pure Math-Number Theory

Research Experience: Four reading projects (online due to covid, 1 summer REU, rest of the 3 were semester projects, graded with good grades) spanning about 3 months each with Professors from good universities in India and Japan. Currently in my 6th month of a year-long master's thesis in Japan on a scholarship.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Received a national rank of 13 among all freshmen applying for a national scholarship and the undergraduate tuition fees were entirely covered by the scholarship. Selected for a national REU program at a reputed institute within the country.
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: No such opportunity
Math Courses Taken: Probabilistic Number theory, Ordinary Differential Equations, Fields and Galois theory, Algebraic Number theory, Algorithms, Data Science, Vector Spaces, rings and modules, Calculus on manifolds, Graph theory, History of mathematics in India, Real Analysis, Complex analysis, Combinatorics, Point set topology, Statistical inference, Mathematical methods in physics
Any Miscellaneous Points that Might Help: female
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Will possibly receive one good recommendation and 2 not so good. Many Cs and a few Ds in math courses (although they translate to Bs and Cs according to the grade conversion system mentioned in scholaro.com)

[18sama20]

Well, I am in the same boat as you with my converted master's GPA standing at 2.88, although your research profile is much much better than mine. What I have been advised by people familiar with US grad admissions is to first get into some AMS Group 3 school, do well there and transfer to a better place. In most of these Group 3 universities, GRE General scores are required, so it would be better if you get it done soon since the deadlines at these places are mostly at the end of January. From your profile, it looks like you have studied at some IIT/IISER/ISI/CMI, so your institute reputation will certainly be a plus point. Even a master's in the US will not be a bad idea. Hope it helps, although I should again remind you that this is what I have been advised and I do not have any first hand knowledge of US grad admissions.

[Ri_mann_zeta]

Hello! Thanks a lot for your reply! Also thanks for the very helpful advice. I had no idea about the AMS school groupings. I will try to apply at those places (although I have not had a chance to take the general GRE so I will have to see where all I can still apply). Also, you guessed correctly, I am indeed from an IISER, which reputation-wise ranks the lowest among the 4 you mentioned and very new so I don't know if it will help outside of India but I hope

All the best for your applications! Hope we get into good programs nonetheless!