Questions families ask

Crescent City College Consulting helps high school students and parents in Greater New Orleans with the whole college process: choosing a major, building a college list, essays, resumes, applications, scholarships, financial aid and ACT prep. Christen Hebert Arafeh founded the firm and works with families directly from her office in Gretna, Louisiana.

Sophomore year is ideal, because students have time to build a record and a scholarship plan. Estella, one of Christen’s students, started in 10th grade and finished with $1,130,644 in scholarship offers. Juniors and seniors can still make real progress with a strategy session or monthly support.

The office is at 519 Huey P Long Ave, Ste 114, in Gretna, Louisiana, on the West Bank. Christen meets families in person, by phone or by video, so students across Greater New Orleans and further away in Louisiana can work with her online.

Christen works with families in Gretna, New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Harvey, Marrero, Belle Chasse, Mandeville and the rest of Greater New Orleans, in Jefferson and Orleans Parish. Students further away can work with her online.

It is a free 30-minute conversation by video, by phone or at the Gretna office. You answer a few quick questions first so Christen can prepare, pick a time, and leave with a clear next step for your student. Families also receive a free scholarship list after attending.

Both. Scholarships are Christen’s specialty. She earned over $900,000 in scholarships as a student, and her students have won more than $2.7 million. Every plan includes a scholarship strategy, including TOPS and local Louisiana awards.

Christen builds a personalized scholarship list from your student’s background, interests and goals, drawing on her own scholarship database. The list is available on its own, and scholarship strategy is included in Ongoing Monthly Support.

Yes. TOPS and local Louisiana scholarships are part of every plan, and Christen publishes a free guide to local Louisiana scholarships on this site. Parent Night also covers TOPS, FAFSA and the real cost of in-state versus out-of-state schools.

Yes. FAFSA completion assistance is part of Christen’s fuller planning support, and she publishes free guides to the FAFSA, the Student Aid Index and aid appeals. She also helps families talk with colleges about scholarship offers.

A Scholarship Power Hour is a one-hour monthly drop-in session where students get questions answered, build their lists and work with real-time guidance. It is included in Ongoing Monthly Support.

No. No ethical consultant can promise admission or a specific award, because colleges and scholarship committees make those decisions. Christen gives each student a clear plan, honest guidance and a strategy built around what they can control.

No. Christen helps students brainstorm, gives feedback and helps them revise. Every essay is the student’s own work, which is what colleges expect and what makes it worth reading.

A VIP Day is a focused day of applications and essay support for families who want major progress at once. It covers applications and profiles, essay drafting and revising, and resume and scholarship planning.

Yes. Christen creates a polished academic resume built for college and scholarship applications. A strong resume also makes it easier for teachers, coaches and mentors to write stronger letters of recommendation.

Yes. Christen helps students choose a major and build a college list that fits their interests, goals and budget, and she helps families plan college tours. She has free guides on campus setting, college size and types of colleges.

ACT classes are small-group, four-day intensives at the Gretna office, timed right before an ACT test date and covering English, Math, Reading and Science. Families in Ongoing Monthly Support get ACT prep workshops included.

Yes. The free ACT Readiness Check takes about 40 minutes, is timed like the real test and is built for the 2025 enhanced ACT. Your student gets an estimated score for each section and the skills to work on first.

It depends on your student’s timing, math, reading and data strengths. The free ACT or SAT quiz on this site takes about two minutes and gives a recommendation before you spend time on prep.

Yes. The College Bound Summer Camp is a two-week program that combines ACT prep with a college essay bootcamp.

Pricing depends on what your student needs, so Christen goes over the options and costs with you on your free 30-minute consultation.

Ongoing Monthly Support includes two 1:1 meetings each month, ACT prep workshops, a monthly Scholarship Power Hour, and scholarship strategy, application planning and essay guidance. It is the most popular option, for families who want consistent guidance and accountability throughout the process.

Yes. Christen has been a keynote speaker at universities, high schools, church functions and homeschool events. She offers scholarship seminars, resume workshops and admission essay workshops, and she hosts an annual Scholarship Seminar and Resume Workshop at the University of Holy Cross.

Parent Night is a live evening for parents at the Gretna office covering when to start planning, college tours, FAFSA, TOPS, costs and scholarships, with live Q&A. Registration is $25 per family and includes a copy of A Louisiana Student’s Guide to College.