I'd say go for the large company. I interned at a large company the summer after my freshman year, and I feel I learned significantly more by noting what they

I'd say go for the large company. I interned at a large company the summer after my freshman year, and I feel I learned significantly more by noting what they did right/wrong with all of their influence and money than I would by working at a small startup that had fewer glaring issues and less leeway to screw up. The difference is that if a startup has a major issue, they will either fix it quickly or won't be a startup very long. A large company is almost certain to have major problems that they don't fix because the impact on the bottom line is a negligible percent at first glance, even though the issue could be crushing. I find I learn more from seeing mistakes made than thing done right. Also, at this stage this is mostly working as a resume padder and not an actual career choice (at least not now), and assuming you will be working on similar things at either company the name recognition of Cisco make them a better choice. I specifically recall internship interviews after my first internship where all they did to their copy of my resume was put a giant circle around that company's name. Even if you do more skilled work and learn more at the startup, Cisco is more likely to get you into an interview at another company in the future. Also, IANAL, but I think naming the companies is at least poor etiquette, if not a breach of something (perhaps an NDA, depending on your interview process). If you haven't discussed wages yet, that means you haven't made an official offer, and they could in theory retract it if they find out you were talking about the offer. A slim chance, but something to keep in mind in the future.