I got a Meta new grad SWE offer (E3) this past spring and I'm posting my prep breakdown because I couldn't find a detailed 2026 version anywhere. Everything I found was from 2022-2023 and the process has shifted a bit.
The actual loop for new grads: Two coding screens (phone/video), then onsite. The onsite for E3 is typically 3 coding rounds + 1 behavioral (Jedi). No system design at E3, which is a relief. Some people get a 4th coding round -- I did not.
All coding is LeetCode-style. Meta leans medium difficulty, but I got one problem in the first onsite round that I'd describe as medium-hard (graph traversal with a constraint). Don't assume everything will be easy mediums.
My prep plan (8 weeks):
Weeks 1-2: grind the Meta-tagged LeetCode questions. Not random, specifically the ones tagged Meta. Arrays, strings, hash maps, two pointers. This is the core.
Weeks 3-4: trees and graphs. BFS, DFS, trie problems. Meta is known for asking these in the SWE loop.
Week 5: system design lite. Even if E3 doesn't have a formal system design round, they might ask a light architecture question during a coding round to see how you think. Know URL shortener, news feed at a high level.
Weeks 6-7: behavioral / Jedi prep. This matters more than people think. I prepped 5 STAR stories and used them across the Jedi round. The questions I got: 'Tell me about a time you had to push back on a requirement' and 'Tell me about a project you're most proud of.'
Week 8: mock interviews. I did 6 mock interviews, timed, with a friend who was also in the loop. Non-negotiable.
What I wish I'd done differently: Practiced talking out loud while coding from day one. I was solid at solving problems but kept going quiet, which is a red flag. Interviewers want to hear your thinking.
Offer was $175k total comp (base + sign-on + RSU vested over 4 years). E3, Bay Area. Feels surreal to type that.