Entry Level FAANG Hiring in 2026 ,What’s Actually Required Now?

I’m currently a CSE student 3rd year (one year to go)trying to break into entry-level roles at FAANG-level companies, and I had a few genuine questions about how things stand right now. With all the layoffs over the past couple of years, I’m a bit confused about how the hiring and interview process has changed: \-Are companies still hiring fresh grads at the same scale, or has it slowed down significantly? \- Has the interview difficulty increased because of higher competition? \- Are DSA-heavy interviews still the main focus, or are projects/system design becoming more important even for entry-level roles? Right now, I’m following the NeetCode 150 list for DSA prep. \- Is that still enough to crack interviews in 2026? \- Or should I go beyond that (like CP, advanced system design, etc.)? Also, what would you say are the minimum realistic requirements now for getting shortlisted? \- Strong DSA + LeetCode? \- Good projects (ML/Web/etc.)? \- Internships? \- Open source contributions? Would really appreciate insights from anyone who has recently interviewed or is working in these companies. Thanks 🙏