Apart from GRE and TOEFL scores, do I need anything else to get admitted to PhD in US?

I will be completing my M.S by research in India by June 2015. I'm planning to give GRE and TOEFL in August 2015.

Apart from academic qualification, GRE and TOEFL do I need any publications or conference papers to get admitted to a university in US?

Which are the avg. institutes for PhD mechanical engineering in US?