[floren]

> I was offered to stay on as a full-time intern as part of the hiring pipeline

This is a big deal and it's something people currently in school should consider: At least at Sandia, we loved the internship programs because it was a really well-defined way to do a trial-run with potential employees. After 3 or 6 months, we'd have some idea if the intern was actually any good, and they'd know if they liked the environment or not. This is important because hiring sucks and firing really sucks.

So if you're in school and you're looking for an internship, consider the labs. Also consider that, in my experience in a CS group at Sandia, startups and FAANGs really liked to hire Sandians away, so it can be a good springboard even if you only spend a couple years there.

Also look into the Scholarship For Service program.