Course Descriptions

When reviewing a student’s Wet Mountain School transcript for credit transfer, placement, or program acceptance, high schools, colleges, the military, or other institutions may request detailed course descriptions. Wet Mountain School provides an online form where parents can upload course descriptions to the student’s records. If Wet Mountain School is asked to send course descriptions directly to an institution, these must be submitted using the online form.

Required Course Descriptions

Parents are responsible for maintaining personal records of course descriptions for every course submitted for high school credit. Although submitting course descriptions to Wet Mountain School during reporting is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that you upload them to your student’s Wet Mountain School records page. This keeps them organized and readily accessible if requested.

What to Include in a Course Description

Writing course descriptions may seem daunting, but it’s mostly about organizing information you already have. Below are key elements to include where applicable:

• Course Name
  
  

• Number of Credits
  
  

• Publisher and Name of Curriculum and/or Resources
  
  

• School or Online Course Provider
  
  

• Topics Covered
  
  

• Prerequisites
  
  

• Grading Method (see tips below)
  
  

Helpful Tips for Writing Course Descriptions

• Start writing course descriptions as soon as your student begins high school credit courses to avoid a large task later.
  
  

• Use descriptions from homeschool curriculum websites as a guide, focusing on content and structure rather than promotional language.
  
  

• If multiple curricula are used (e.g., for English: separate grammar, writing, and literature), list them all.
  
  

• Report the total credit assigned for the entire course, not just per semester.
  
  

• For courses taken outside your homeschool, check high school or college catalogs for descriptions you can adapt.
  
  

• Distinguish between a course (syllabus, assignments, instruction, grading) and a curriculum (materials/resources only).
  
  

• Include website links when available for easy reference.
  
  

• Copy course topics from a syllabus or table of contents, formatted as a simple comma-separated list.
  
  

• Describe the grading method—how the final grade is calculated (e.g., 70% tests, 20% homework).
  
  

• For self-designed courses, find similar online course descriptions and list the main resources instead of a formal curriculum.
  
  

For more guidance, you can consult resources like Tips for Writing High School Course Descriptions by HSLDA (available to members).