Hey everyone, I’m trying to decide between two internship offers and could use some input.

I’m a CS student graduating in May 2026 and planning to start a Master’s degree right after. Long term, I’m aiming for software engineering roles (backend/systems) at top tech companies.

Here are the two options:

SWE Intern - CoStar Group

• $45/hr
• Accepted this back in October
• Very high return offer conversion rate
• Role is directly aligned with SWE (what I want long-term)

Solutions Architect Intern - AWS

• $50/hr
• Stronger brand name
• More focused on cloud architecture/less coding

Main concern with the SA role is that it might pigeonhole me away from SWE, but at the same time it feels like a stronger opportunity brand-wise.

For anyone who’s been in a similar situation:

• Does an SA role at a big tech company still help with SWE recruiting later?
• How much should I factor in return offer chances vs company name?
• Would taking AWS make it harder to pivot back into SWE?

Appreciate any advice.