SM Sains Selangor

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Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor or SM Sains Selangor (SMSS) literally translates into 'Selangor Science Secondary School'. It is under a special fully residential school programme by the Sektor Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (SBP), meaning `Fully Residential School' Sector, under the purview and control of the Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE). It is undeniably among the Top 10 best boarding schools in Malaysia.

Recent notable achievements include having the best result in the Federal Territory in the 2007 Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examinations. This school is also well-known for its strong Rugby prowess, and winning two or three titles a year is a norm. Also very active in other sports such as Hockey as well as having a formidable Wind Orchestra regularly competing in the national SBP Wind Orchestra competitions. In 2006, Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor was awarded the Bronze Award during the 2006 SBP Wind Orchestra Finale.

Despite what its name suggests, Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor is actually located within the boundaries of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. It is one of the earlier SM Sains schools in the country, hence its name bearing or representing the State of Selangor, prior to formation of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Newer SM Sains schools would bear the names of the individual cities or towns where they are situated (such as Sekolah Menengah Sains Teluk Intan or SEMESTI) or in some cases the names of Sultans and other Rulers (such as Sekolah Menengah Sains Raja Tun Azlan Shah or SERATAS).

Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor is a co-ed school, having students coming from all the States in Malaysia. The pioneer batch of students which were made up of Form 1 and 4 started in 1973 temporarily placed for a year at four other different schools in Kelang and Kajang before reuniting at the spanking new school in 1974 as Form 2 and 5 students. Later intakes were mostly from Form 1 based on their UPSR excellence, with a trickle coming in at Form 4 based on their excellent PMR results.

Selection for entry into Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor, as the case with all schools under the purview of the SBP Sector under MOE, is strictly done by the MOE themselves. Underlying and foremost criteria is that the students must achieve 5As in their Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) or Primary School Assessment Test. More than 500,000 sit for the UPSR each year, and about 10% or equivalent to 50,000 would get 5As. Nearly 100,000 or 20% would be applying for a place in one of the 54 boarding schools under SBP.

Therefore, the entry criteria also puts equal emphasis to co-curriculum, leadership qualities and also sports excellence. Out of the 100,000 applicants, only 6,000 would eventually find their way into a boarding school. So, considering that Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor is among the Top 10 best SBP in the country, then securing a place there by default effectively means that you are amongst the top 1,000 of the total UPSR students in that given year.

Those who do not get selected for SBP, have another shot at MRSM which would take in another 3,000 from the list for entry into their 34 MRSM schools. Hence, as a general rule, out of the 100,000 hopefuls, only 9,000 or a mere 9% would be able to enter a fully residential school, be it SBP or MRSM. That percentage is much lower if you take into account the original 500,000 total UPSR students. The rest would have to go to SBPI (Integrated Fully Residential School) or SMKA (which is under State Education Department purview) or ordinary daily Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan or SMK schools.

After more than 34 years of establishment, Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor (SMSS) now stands tall and proud alongside other more established SBPs like Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR), Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak (SDAR), Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah (SSAS), Maktab Tentera Diraja (RMC), Kolej Tunku Kurshiah (TKC), Sekolah Seri Puteri (SSP), Sekolah Tun Fatimah (STF) and of course its own sibling rivals like Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (SMSTMFP) and Sekolah Menengah Sains Raja Tun Azlan Shah (SERATAS) or formerly known as Sekolah Menengah Sains Taiping (SEMESTA). They find themselves locking horns with each other during yearly competitions such as Rugby, Football, Hockey, Debate, Wind Orchestra and other events organized by the SBP Sector under MOE. Needless to say, Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor has won their fair share of these competitions, and when they did not win, they would have given a more than worthy challenge for their opponents.

Over the years, competition becomes stiffer with the establishment of Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) which is under the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA). Of course there are also schools like Kolej Yayasan Saad (KYS) and Kolej Tuanku Jaafar (KTJ) but these are private schools. However, for better or for worse, MRSM schools and these private schools do not normally have the opportunity to directly pitch themselves against the boarding schools under SBP.

Situated strategically on top of a small hill in Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur; Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor has one of the most fascinating views overlooking the scenic Tasik Permaisuri lakes. Its main arch is directly oppposite to the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, which is in turn adjacent to the Kuala Lumpur Sports Complex and Kuala Lumpur Swimming Complex. It also enjoys having the company of other schools i.e. Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah, Sekolah Menengah Teknik Kuala Lumpur, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Permaisuri and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Cheras as its immediate neighbours. Hospital HUKM is also conveniently in the vicinity.

The school's official address is Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor, Jalan Tasik Permaisuri 1, Off Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia. Tel No: +603-91316093, Fax No: +603-91300346, E-mail address: pengetua@wea0206.14.moe.edu.my.

For an Aerial View of Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor, please click on the following URL:- http://wikimapia.org/356636/

For the latest updated information, please visit the Official Website of Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor by clicking on the following URL:- http://www.smssonline.page.tl

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