ok i literally just got through my stripe new grad SWE loop (class of 2025) and i kept a notes doc throughout because i was terrified and couldn't find a detailed guide anywhere. here's what i have.
process: online application or referral (i had a referral, probably matters) hacker rank OA: 2 coding problems, 90 minutes. both were graph/tree. one easy-ish, one medium. timed strictly. phone screen: 45 min with an engineer. one coding problem. i got a medium dp question which surprised me. they talked through it conversationally, not silent-watchers-while-you-code energy. onsite virtual: 4 panels 2 coding rounds (medium-hard range). data structures, one required a custom class design 1 system design LITE: they said "entry-level" version but it was still a real system design. i got asked to design a rate limiter. looked into this after and it's apparently a common one for new grads because it tests the right concepts without being L5+ scope 1 behavioral round: 3-4 questions. what's a project you're proud of. tell me about a time you had to figure something out with incomplete info. that kind of thing.
what i'd tell past me: leetcode 75 or neetcode 150 is the right scope. don't panic about hards actually practice system design basics. not full distributed-systems depth but: load balancers, databases, APIs, caching. new grads who know this stand out the behavioral round is not filler. they actually use it. prepare 4-5 real stories from school projects or internships if you have a referral, recruiter response was about 10 days. cold apps took 3+ weeks for others i talked to
still waiting on my offer. should hear this week. will update.