Quick heads up: This is based on my experience at SRMIST KTR. The program structure, selection process, and details might vary at other institutions. This is my take on how it worked for us.
So, how does PRISM actually work?
Whenever someone asks me about Samsung PRISM, the questions are almost always the same: "How did you get in?", "What do you actually do?", and "Is it really worth it?".
Now that I've completed the program, I thought I'd write down everything I wish someone had told me before I applied. No marketing. No brochure version. Just what the experience was actually like.
The Selection Process
Everything starts with a Google Form shared by the university. You fill it out, submit it, and wait for the first round.
Round 1: College Exam - Conducted by the college itself. It's an objective examination, but unlike a normal MCQ test, you're also expected to submit your complete solution and rough work for every question. This is where most applicants get eliminated.
Round 2: Samsung Assessment - Only a small group moves to the second round, which is an online assessment conducted directly by Samsung. We were given three coding problems. There isn't any official cutoff, but from what I've observed, solving at least two questions well gives you a realistic chance of getting selected.
And then... nothing. No email. No result portal. No interview update. Just complete silence. For us, one day our teacher randomly added a few students to a WhatsApp group. That's how we found out we had been selected.
After You Get Selected
Once you're in, your team is already decided. Every project has 4 students, 2 faculty mentors from the university, and 2 Samsung mentors.
You don't choose your teammates, mentors, or even your project. Samsung assigns each team a dedicated research problem based on their own requirements. Before you even receive the complete problem statement, you'll sign proper NDA documents, since the work involves internal research.
What The Work Is Actually Like
People often call PRISM an internship. I don't really think it feels like one. It feels much closer to research engineering.
Officially, the program is supposed to last around 6 months. For our batch, though, it took almost 10 months to complete. And we definitely weren't the only team.
The challenge isn't that the workload is impossible. It's the consistency. Almost every week there's something to discuss, improve, or validate. You have regular reviews with your faculty mentors and periodic reviews with Samsung engineers.
Every design decision, implementation choice, and experiment is questioned. "Why this approach?" "Could this scale?" "What happens if this assumption fails?" You slowly stop building things just because they work. You start building things that make sense.
The Final Submission
Finishing the code isn't actually the end. Once your mentors are satisfied with the project, you're also expected to prepare and submit a research paper documenting the complete work. Only after the project is reviewed and accepted is it officially marked as completed.
What Do You Get?
On successful completion, you receive:
- →Participation Certificate
- →Certificate of Excellence (for selected teams approved by Samsung mentors)
- →Performance-based stipend
- →Eligibility to appear for the Samsung SRIB Magpie program
- →Credit towards your university's Industry Project
But honestly... those aren't the biggest rewards. The biggest takeaway is learning how large engineering teams think. How research is conducted. How decisions are defended. And how much patience it takes to build something that's actually ready for the real world.
Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely.
Not because it looks good on a resume. Not because of the certificate. And definitely not because of the stipend.
I'd recommend it because it's one of the few college programs where you're trusted with a real engineering problem instead of a predefined assignment.
It's challenging. Sometimes frustrating. Almost always uncertain. But if you're someone who genuinely enjoys solving difficult problems, it's one of the best opportunities you'll get during college.
A Small Personal Note
I was part of the Samsung PRISM 2025. Our team successfully completed the program and received both the Participation Certificate and the Certificate of Excellence, something only a small number of teams achieved that year.
Looking back, I'm genuinely glad I applied. If the form appears again for your batch, I'd say it's worth giving yourself the chance. The rest depends on how much you're willing to put into it.