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Is Hair Design School-Ocean the Right School for You?

This 2-year, private for-profit school offering degrees in cosmetology and esthetics is part of the Empire Education Group and used to be known as the Concorde School of Hair Design. Now called Hair Design School-Ocean, it is based in the Ocean Township area of Asbury Park, New Jersey, which is close to the many attractions of New York City as well as JFK, LaGuardia and Newark international airports. The small, suburban community in which the school is located has an extensive parks system and a community pool. If you are thinking about enrolling in courses at Hair Design School-Ocean, read more about the pros and cons for this school.

<h4 id="section---Pros">Pros</h4> <ul><li>Open admissions </li><li>Close to New York City and 3 international airports </li></ul><h4 id="section---Cons">Cons</h4> <ul><li>Limited number of program offerings </li><li>Student to teacher ratio is about 16:1, which is 5 points higher than the national average </li></ul><h3 id="section---HairDesignSchoolOceanAtAGlance"> Hair Design School-Ocean at a Glance</h3> <p>According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), the average student-teacher ratio for this type of school is 11:1; therefore, with 129 students and only 8 instructors, the student to teacher ratio at Hair Design School-Ocean is theoretically higher than the national average. However, Hair Design School-Ocean has an open admissions policy, which means you should have no trouble getting in. When enrolling in classes at Hair Design School-Ocean, you can choose between two program options. </p> <p>Hair Design School-Ocean is a small school, but it belongs to a network of more than 20 beauty schools operating in more than 8 states, including New Jersey, Georgia, Maryland and North Carolina. The National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NAACCS) - the largest accrediting organization for beauty schools in the United States - accredits it. This means that Hair Design School-Ocean meets certain national standards regarding instructor's qualifications and teachings. Students at this school have gone on to full- and part-time jobs in the cosmetology industry, which was expected to grow 20% between the years 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that jobs should continue to be increasingly available in this field in the coming years. </p> <h2 id="section---GettingInAndFinancialAidAtHairDesignSchoolOcean">Getting In and Financial Aid at Hair Design School-Ocean</h2> <p>Admissions at Hair Design School-Ocean are considered open to all who wish to apply, but it is good to know that you still have to submit a $100 application fee. In 2012, the total cost of attending Hair Design School-Ocean, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), was $27,502. Also according to NCES, the student loan default rate for students who graduated in 2009 was 22.8%. This means that more than 1 in 5 students who took out loans to finance their education at this school have not been able to pay those loans back. </p> <p>The school claims that financial aid assistance is available, but it will be considered on a case-by-case basis, so you should contact a career-planning specialist at the school for help filling out forms and finding sources of aid. <i>US News and World Report</i> recently listed a few scholarships available to prospective cosmetology students including awards from the Professional Beauty Association/National Cosmetology Association, The Joe Francis Hair-care Scholarship Foundation and Kathy Jager &amp; Associates. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th> <b>Admissions and Financial Aid</b> </th><th /></tr> <tr><td> <i>Regular Application Deadline (2013)</i> </td><td> Open admissions*</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Application Fee (2013)</i></td><td> $100**</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Tuition and Fees (2011)</i></td><td> $14,400**</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Student Loan Default Rate (2009)</i></td><td> 22.8%**</td></tr> </table><h2 id="section---StudentLifeAtHairDesignSchoolOcean">Student Life at Hair Design School-Ocean</h2> <p>While attending Hair Design School-Ocean, you will be one of fewer than 130 students at this small school located in the large suburb of Asbury Park, New Jersey. There are no clubs or campus organizations at this cosmetology school, so you will have a different experience here than you might at other schools offering cosmetology degrees, but you should consider what will work best for you. Classes you might take at Hair Design School-Ocean include hair cleansing, cutting and styling techniques, basic skin care techniques, business development and retail training. </p> <p>With close proximity to major cities, there are a wide variety of cultural, shopping and dining options close by. This school is also located not far from the much renowned Jersey Shore, so if you want to be able to take a swim at the beach in the summer after a long day of classes, this school might be right for you. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th> <b>Student Life</b> </th><th /></tr> <tr><td><i>Campus Setting</i></td><td> Large suburb</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Student Population (2013)</i></td><td> 129**</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Male-to-Female Student Ratio (2011)</i></td><td> 18% male, 82% female**</td></tr> <tr><td><i>% of Full-Time Students (2011)</i></td><td> 78%**</td></tr> <tr><td><i>% of In-State Students (2011)</i></td><td> 100%**</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Retention Rate (2011)</i></td><td> 81%*</td></tr> <tr><td><i>Campus Housing Available</i></td><td> No**</td></tr> </table><p><i>Sources: *HDS-Ocean, **NCES.</i> </p> <h3 id="section---ContactInformation">Contact Information</h3> <ul><li><i>Address:</i> 1458 State Rt. 35, Asbury Park, NJ 07712 </li><li><i>Phone:</i> 732-573-4006</li></ul>