Barbizon has helped ignite a passion for modeling and singing in my son. I am thankful the school reached out to me and that I could opportune this experience for my son. The learning goes deeper than a camera flash and a great pose; their method of training has helped my son grow as an individual, heightening his confidence and contributed to his personal image development. My only complaints are: - Distribution of space; very congested and unwelcoming - Methods of communication between staff and parents; clarity is lost having to depend on a 6 year old for information/instructions - Cost of tuition; although my experience was a good one, I don't feel I got my money's worth. (Hence the fact that I only wrote this review in order to receive a complimentary ticket for the graduation ceremony, as each child is only given one "free" ticket.) Overall, I do recommend this school and the staff is great. I simply wish Barbizon communicated with parents better, that they'd invest more into the space and that they'd consider how hectic drop-offs and pick-ups are. For example, there could be a designated waiting area for parents, improved bathrooms, improved HVAC systems, etc. read more

***** ***SCAM ALERT ******** ******** SCAM ALERT********* This is a scam! DO NOT SOGN ANY AGREEMENTS! There's a NONREFUNDABLE DEPOSIT that they scam you with! If you go to FOUR CLASSES you owe for the year! They only scam and say they "teach" but YouTube videos can teach as well as these clowns! Scam- Class scheduled -to- Percentage of tuition due) 0% up to 24.99% - 50% 25% and over - 100% read more

A TOTAL AND ABSOLUTE SCAM!!! Would give it a zero star if I could . This place has been operating and stealing peoples money for years. They are professional con artists charging thousands for mediocre training. "Teachers" there aren't actual scholars, ask for their credentials guarantee they will not be able to provide. They charge $695 just for registration (which is non-refundable) make you sign agreements papers which are actually consent forms for reoccurring payments. "Tuitions" from $3,495 and up. And you cannot cancel! Even if your child decides they don't want to attend anymore they will still continue to charge . Not to mention the environment is toxic, employees are nasty. "Talent directors" / "Talent scouts" are fake if you watch them long enough you see that they literally tell everybody they can enroll just to grab the money. They make you "fake audition" and make you feel like you're actually trying out for something real when in all actuality they are just trying to make you feel like this is an actual school. IT IS NOT. Nor is at an agency or do they even assist with finding bookings. This place should be shut down and its practices should be illegal. Shame on the Lionetti owners and shame on all who affiliate with Barbizon. Spread the word to all you know this business is fake. That certificate graduates receive is fake and will not actually account for anything in real life. I suggest you all seek an actual professional modeling/acting school for you or your child, because this ain't it. read more

Barbizon - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

Mary and Ayla, both receptionists, were very rude and hung up the phone on me when I went to inquire about my daughter's account being canceled. Mary mentioned that Giselle was her manager, who I spoke to a week ago in the accounting department. Anesa ("director"/recruiter) didn't give full important info, initially before payment , especially since my daughter is a minor. The weeks that the models attend school is not a full 6 months, yet this "school " wants to charge thousands of dollars for mediocrity. I believe that they have my letter of cancellation but are refusing to cancel. Anesa also didn't tell me the correct way to cancel, which I found through the Internet and confirmed by Giselle, how to cancel. Before signing the contract and paying money, Anesa also didn't not tell me that I cannot be in the vicinity while my MINOR child is in classes, which raises all sorts of suspicion. Michael was the only honest guy and I hope that he does well in life. The post office tracking stated that the letter reached NY on 5/3 and someone didn't sign for the certified mail. I believe that they prey on people who they think have low confidence. I also believe that they outsourced their call center/booking out of this country. I never saw Jaime, who initially booked the appointment and she refuses to take my calls or never texted me back. Do not deal with this place. Also, Anesa assured me that Megan from accounting would call me on 5/1 and I haven't received a call yet. When I asked for Megan later last week, Giselle stated that she was sick and went home early. They promised to give my daughter's headshots within a week and she still hasn't received them. We had our initial visit on 4/27. I paid 1390 for registration, which is bs and my daughter NEVER attended classes. I want my money back and for them to be exposed. They also refuse to give you the name of the board of directors, CEO and other leaders within the company and the headquarters info because they claim that they are "independently owned". STOP SCAMMING. read more

I graduated from the Barbizon School of Modeling (which is what it was called at that time) in 1974. I wouldn't call it a scam, but I never became a professional model under them. Some years later, I was booked for a few hair and sportswear ads; participated in 2 professional fashion shows, and had been employed as a professional makeup artist for a number of years. I need to believe that Barbizon "might've" sparked a fire, or ignited a passion for me to stay on the path, but my real success story has everything to do with my education, and love for God; really, nothing to do with Barbizon. read more

Two thumbs down!!!!!! My son signed himself up for a workshop here but I didn't know that it was Barbizon and a modeling agency until we arrived. I called a close family member because I vaguely remembered her having a bad experience here and she told us to run for the door lol. However, I stayed because I wanted to use the experience to teach my son how some businesses and people can be dishonest. My son was lured here under the pretense that he would learn about photography, something that he is interested in. A young lady that he sat next to during the session apparently was here for the same reason. I spoke to a woman the previous night confirming that he was going to attend and I was told that the session would only last for an hour and there would be no fees involved. We later found out after being there for about 2 hours and 40 minutes that it was all lies because you would need to pay that day if you wanted to sign up with them. I didn't mind going for an hour but to sit there past an hour to watch innocent people get roped in by their shenanigans was sickening. It was a waste of time but a great lesson for my son. read more

Barbizon - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

BE CAREFUL WHEN SIGNING THE CONTRACT BEWARE!!!! Barbizon is only interested in your money. It was Saturday morning. After a workshop my daughter was interviewed and we signed the contract at 1pm. The woman told us to come back at 5pm to take some pictures. The next day was my daughter birthday and she gave a trip as a gift and could not attend the classes that should begging the next Saturday, as the scheduled. It was in the contract that we can cancel up to 3 days after signing, so we decided to cancel it. When we call them to cancel, we discovered that the PHOTOS she took were considered a first class and even without participating in any activity we would be fined $2,590. We have completely disappointed with and we lost confidence in the company, which seems to be struggling to keep the contract, demonstrating that it does not trust in the quality of its work. That's really disgusting. read more

We signed our eight year old son up for the acting and modeling program at Barbizon in Minneapolis. He attended one session and we were appalled by his experience and since then Barbizon's predatory practices have caused our family endless grief and frustration. We informed them that their program violated our family's values and that we were upset that they would so brazenly food shame our son for eating crackers at lunch. We believe such shame can lead children to develop not only a poor self image but lead to eating disorder later in life. When we informed Barbizon we were pulling our son from their program they proceeded daily to continue to try to withdraw money from our bank account even though they clearly did not deliver on their promise to provide a family friendly and safe environment for children to learn about acting and modeling. This practice is aggressive and predatory and has left us unable to use my wife's bank account for months. The only time they returned any of our many calls was when I threat litigation and that didn't even stop their attempts to steal money from us. We regret ever signing our son up for such a program and after further investigation we should have been more cautious as there are multiple reports online of Barbizon's predatory behavior including lawsuits regarding sexual misconduct involving children. read more

My 10 year old daughter was scouted by a recruiter at Trader Joe's, and we went just to check it out- she did very well in their tests,etc. and quickly became enamored with the idea of modeling/acting... I was skeptical, as I'd heard bad things about Barbizon's scam... it's even mentioned negatively in a Judy Blume book I read as a child! I am writing this now because I was viewing another business on Yelp and recalled how we parents were forced to give them a positive review, at the end of the program, and take a screenshot of it! I wrote something vaguely average back then- but today I thought to warn parents from WASTING $$ :( read more

Barbizon is awesome! we went to Barbizon on Broadway and Times Square and it was just so exciting for us. my daughter's dream is to be a runway model and Barbizon fulfilled that dream for her every Sunday. how can you put a price tag on that. right after graduation my daughter has worked as an extra on many TV shoes and she gets called for extra work everyday. most recently we went for a casting for runway models and she was chosen for Bronx Fashion Week. she is 13 years old but gained amazing training from Barbizon. it is all in a positive attitude and parents we must be unwavering for our kids dreams!!! Barbizon forever for our family read more

Barbizon - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

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it's definitly a scam. they believe in you have to pay money to make money which is bs. if you are really scouting for talent then take me through training with modelling and acting to see where im at to see if I can have a shot to get casted instead of asking for 600$ to get "trained". I did a walk for them today and they said it was good and they thought I had experience but no I literally watched a short youtube video and practiced for less than 5 minutes then they sat me in a chair and explained I had to pay a tuition to take classes without seeing my acting abilities. I literally showed them a good walk and was gonna show them good acting but they dont care they just want that 600$ to teach what you know. the things I actually need dont deserve to take 600$. also in the call and text they said I come in show my talent and they see if im ready for a event they didnt even mention paying money for classes. if legit agencies really like your look like barbizon told me face to face then I would have got free classes to learn what I need then get signed. my name is vickram singh read more

My friend was baby sitting my daughter and happened to be recruited by one of the workers. I decided to bring her in and she was picked. My daughter had no experience what so ever and was so shy. Her classes were from july to december. I must say within those months my daughter has become much more confident and walks with such stride!! I noticed such an improvement in her walking, poses, and confidence. I would refer this school to anyone !! read more

Full disclosure: writing this review to get a complementary ticket for my daughter's graduation. My daughter got scouted while we were out in the city and was super excited about being able to learn a thing or two on modeling and acting. She loves to sing and dance and has been very active in school programs. The classes were pricey to say the least but I am glad I made the investment. Throughout the time my daughter was attending classes, I noticed that she is now more outspoken and motivated. I also like the mantra that they say at the end of each class about loving their life and taking good care of themselves - these are the things that we teach her and I am happy that it is being echoed out during the classes. read more

All they want is money as a model if ever you have to pay for training it pictures run away because that is all they do is make money in the picture packages read more

I admired the convenience of doing it online. I wish that there could have been more runway practice especially with the jacket removal. Mr. M. who used to take part in the master classes, gave each and every person an opportunity to participate in their monologues and afterwards, he gave each a proper critique with extra tips. He was the best. Ms. T. on the other hand, had a full course of lectures which didn't provide enough time for all of us to participate in our commercial and acting monologues. I considered that a true inconvenience. Overall, I MISS BARBIZON SCHOOL ALREADY! read more

The school is great! My child has learned so many things, the fundamentals of modeling for her age group. Her instructor Ms. Olivia is very nice and patient with the kids. I'm glad my daughter had the Barbizon experience. I always wanted to go to the school as a kid but didn't have the opportunity. I'd recommend them any day! read more

Barbizon - Family photo in the lobby. - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM Please don't take your daughter to this program! Don't break her heart! They'll just asked you to pay a ton of money and can't even make you promises on any bookings. They run a good front show for you to suck you in making your kid think they will immediately become a model or an actress. Please listen to me! Just go to school and take drama classes and whatever programs high school and college offer. It's the same! That's my advice. read more

Barbizon - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

My daughter has a passion for modeling, acting and singing but in a room full of strangers can be extremely shy although that is not who she really is. She got scouted while we were out shopping and was super excited about being able to learn from the experience, as a mom I was intrigued to see how the program can increase her confidence and help her with public speaking. As a single mother, the financial commitment has been HUGE but my daughter has been really committed and always excited about going to class every other Sunday all day for modeling and acting. Going into the program I was fully aware of no job guarantees BUT it felt good to know that we can have some professionals to speak with for advice, tips, and guiding us down the right direction as long as we put in work as well. Graduation day is right around the corner and I look forward to seeing where the classes will take her. I love her motivation to practice, she has her monologue down and loves practicing her walk, turns/looks. I'm trying to have a positive outlook for the future results. I will definitely be posting another review to speak about the follow-up after graduation! read more

My view of this company has changed for the BETTER! They were so understanding and reasonable. They work with me even though I made it very difficult! They have stood on their word and that means a whole lot for me and my family. Highly recommend once again thank you for all the understanding specially during COVID from me and my family! read more

My 15 year old daughter is graduating now from Barbizon . I am very happy that I sent her to this program as it raised her self esteem in addition to her learning how to be a lady . She learned etiquette , how to dress , how to walk , how to sit like a lady , etc I highly recommend it . read more

Disgusting company. My boyfriend meet then in kings plaza mall. Lady was friendly. He left his information. A lady called and My boyfriend wanted to ask about the price. The lady on the phone was rude and got upset telling him to do his information hung up on him and blocked his number. We taught that was the end of them contacting us. someone else called a few days later. They asked him to come and my boyfriend wanted to know the price. They said they don't provide that over the phone. Ok that's fine something the pervious lady could of nicely told us. My boyfriend told her he does not have headshots. The lady said to come and he'd be labeled as "unprepared". My boyfriend told the lady that he would come another day with headshots from another agency he was working with. The lady on the phone literally shouted this sunday is the last day for him to come and work with them! How is that even possible? Your telling me a company who has existed for years is no longer expecting new clients after that day she told us ? Ha ! No way that's a bluff. they want us to come unprepared and spend more money on headshots all the people on the phone are rude and nasty they are just looking for money. To have two different people yell at him and for one of them to block his number is unprofessional and just plain rude. They even don't know how he looks like and are feening for him to come in. What if he isn't model material? They obviously don't care of his appearance and want the money. It's there lost because he is beyond model material and thankfully got picked up with a nice agency who doesn't treat their clients so rude and nasty and care about his success in the industry. Be ware of this company. read more

Great staff. Teacher were very friendly. My daughter loved her experience there. Too expensive for a single working parent.

My daughter wants to be an actress so I signed her up to take acting classes from barbizon. We went to the workshop. At first they act as if your kid has to audition to get into the school for classes and that not all of the kids in the free work shop will make it, but I doubt that they'll turn anyone away. They act like they'er really into your kid at the one on one audition. The fact is its a mind game they play to make you want your kid to go to their school. Then they drop the $3,600 minimum tuition for a total of about 13 three hour classes Throughout the span of 6 months. Now that I think about it I probably should have just got her 1 on 1 training for less money and more time but we were promised that after graduation we would be able to use their Agent And that having them on her resume is a good look. My daughter loves the classes so i hope my money pays off. read more

Full disclosure - this review is being written to receive a complimentary ticket to my son's upcoming graduation. Each student is given only 1 complementary ticket and each additional graduation ticket cost $10 each. By providing a review on Yelp we will be eligible to receive a 2nd ticket free. $10 per ticket may not sound like a lot, however for the amount of tuition we paid it was disappointing to find out I would have to pay again to attend his graduation We, including our son, registered at Barbizon fully aware the classes he would take (Modelling / Acting and Singing) was purely for instruction and learning. The staff make it clear they are not an agency and make it a point to remind you any opportunity they can. I have found our son is more confident about his abilities and the classes have added to his interest in the field. He has enjoyed his classes and his teachers, which is the most important. My experience as a parent has been mixed. Generally, the staff have been friendly and informative. read more

I was not sure what to expect in Barbizon. It is a 70+ year old organization after all. What we found after enrolling our daughter is a group of people who cared for and nurtured our daughter and who have worked to remain relevant in an ever changing entertainment industry. They recognize where our daughter has natural talent and work to amp that up. We appreciate all of her instructors and the ways they encouraged and motivated our daughter. She enjoyed the experience, grew in confidence and is looking forward to her final performance. read more

My daughter enjoyed her time at Barbizon because she was able to make new friends while building her self esteem and confidence. It was an awesome experience for her and I hope that after graduation she'll continue to take courses that will build the confidence needed to achieve any goals she want to pursue. read more

Barbizon - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

This is the first modeling school for my daughter. She enjoyed it a lot. Today is her graduation day. Looking forward to see all work.

Barbizon the school for training young ladies and young men. My daughter enjoyed her experience at Barbizon. The friends she met and skills she acquired are life long whether planning to go into the entertainment industry. read more

Barbazon Modeling School was a great experience for my daughter. She struggled with self esteem and feeling like she was enough. They helped her know how to carry herself and how to be comfortable with who she was. The teachers have giving her something that she will use in the years to come. Thanks again Barbazon read more

It is a great training school for modeling and acting. The workers are very nice. They make the children feel at home and safe when there. They helped my daughter learn to be confident, before she will say I can't to everything she is ask to do in school but now she has self confidence. She has also learned how to walk a runway and also read scripts. She also made lots of friends. read more

My son completed the pre-teen program..he was really enjoy the program a lot. It has more confidence...looking forward to acting and modeling read more

Our experience with Barbizon has been exceptional! My 13-year-old daughter was looking for opportunities to learn more about modeling and acting. We reached out to Barbizon and we were contacted by Director Sheila Handley. She thoroughly explained the whole program, so we knew exactly what to expect. My daughter has had an amazing experience so far and even though it is completely online due to Covid-19, she has absorbed so much. She now has a lot more confidence in herself and she feels more comfortable figuring out her own personal style. Everyone is super welcoming and through online learning she has made friends from all around the country. We feel that what she is gaining in terms of how she expresses herself is definitely worth the cost. read more

PLEASE STAY FAR AWAY!!! This place has been scamming people since the I was a young child back in 1990 they came to my High School and told us we were model material. HA! more like $$$ Material. my poor hardworking parents luckily talked me out of the sham and they weren't ripped off. nice to know 27 years later they are still up to it. If you want to be a model get head shots on your OWN time mail them to modeling agencies and then audition on your own time, a legitimate modeling agency will pay you THEMSELVES they will never ask you to pay them! Tyson Beckford was found on a playground gym, kate moss at the airport etc. be fabulous on your own time not on your own dime kids and parents! read more

We went to Barbizon to provide a refresher course for our daughter(10) we met with Lidia who was wonderful, so was Carolina. After speaking with her in her office, she gave us the application and costs for the training our daughter needed and we signed. It was clear that this was not a scam but people who actually care about the students and their betterment. The teachers are top notch and very reinforcing and also critique with a sensitive touch. We do not feel this was a mistake and we also spoke with Ms. Ellen Tengellis from Studio 1939 who was very instrumental in providing help, information, resources, etc. And we spoke to Ellen before we even went to Barbizon. To date we are extremely pleased with our decision to send our daughter to Barbizon for training and are very satisfied with the level of the teachers training, the respect you get form everyone as well as the fact that Barbizon actually has the NYCDOE involved with their curriculum and they provide a rating for them as well as the BBB, which is an A+. I do not know any company today that invites in any outside agency to oversee and help develop their curriculum, not one. They obviously put a lot of money into this business and to the development which is clear from the caliber of teachers that are there. This was a HAPPY SURPRISE for us. We feel this was both enriching and a great experience for our daughter and not a rip off at all. Money well spent! Barbizon and us are expecting great things to come for our daughter! Kevin & Darlene & Dariya H read more

I must admit, I was skeptical after reading the reviews, and opted to take a chance on my seven-year old daughter. Her teacher is Ms. Jazelle, from "What Would You Do?". My daughter is tri-racial and I think having such a confident, pretty, well-spoken and informed teacher, that she can identify with, is priceless. Her confidence has increased and she has made several connections already. I look forward to her future in the industry as well as a continued relationship with Barbizon. read more

I came here to see what this is all about, and to give my child an experience of what this modeling/runway/ acting is all about. I got a call from them cause I signed my child up for the metro parents magazine cover contest and if ur child get chosen ur child get to be on the cover of metro parent magazine and a gift card to sesame place or something like that.My intention was just for fun and not for my child to be a superstar model if she get it great if she don't whatever it's all the experience for my child. I didn't know metro parent magazine will release my phone number to modeling agency that will try to convince me into signing up my child into acting,modeling, singing, dancing classes. The price for the classes is almost $3000.00 for four months and once a week the class is once a week and it's 1.5 hour the class that's about $187.00 per class . If this is the reason why they are located in the most expensive area in nyc Times Square 42nd st lol they are amazingly smart business people running their business for 75 years ? Of course everyone think their kids are the cutest prettiest so they just sign their kids up hoping their kids make it big after taking these classes and cross their fingers they get their casting call after they take their classes and sign them to their agency. After the workshop my child got a certificate for participating lol my daughter didn't even do half of what they asked her to do lol that certificate was just to make my child want to sign up and try to talk all sweet to my child like this wil be so fun so my daughter will convince me into signing her up lol. Place is a scam, a joke. If u have that $3000 to spend on ur child find a real better agency or bring ur child to sign up for some other classes. Don't recommend this place at all you will regret it. read more

My daughter attended classes at Barbizon. She was so exited about that. It was the first time she did something different for her. She learned a lot about modeling and acting with her teacher, Mrs. Magic. She enjoyed the classes every time. I'm expecting to graduate this week and see all the work. read more

My son Braylon, was scouted while in the city. He was happy about gaining additional skills in acting. While attending classes every other Saturday, he became more confident, both in the craft and his exposure working with other students. His teachers, Ms. Magic and Ms.Olivia, made his experience fun while learning at the same time. Some areas that can be improved, however includes: 1. Improving convenience--Parents, such as myself, traveling outside of the five boroughs, could not attend the mandatory parent session (held on a Tuesday or Sunday) 2. Assessments--I was excited attending the first session at Barbizon where parents were given information during which we were told that students report cards are reviewed (this never happened) 3. Educational focus--If education is important at Barbizon, then why are students attending rehearsals on a school night? read more

My daughter attended for modeling & acting. The staff is very supportive and knowledgeable. They prepare you for the industry and we are looking forward to the graduation. Barbizon gives you some job opportunities but not quite what we expected. read more

First I would like to say it's not a scam but it's also not worth it. You only learn a little bit and in my opinion it's for younger kids. Most people in the class dont take it serious and it's very distracting. Towards the end of class they mixed the younger group with the older group which was all over the place. Because the teacher for the older people quit. You pay all that money just for them to give you a bag and a makeup kit. You are there all day and have to bring a lunchbox, you can't go get food but food can be brought to you. I feel like they push modeling more than acting, and I went for acting. Its not worth the money and they tell you that you can go to passport to discovery which is another 3,000 to 4,000 dollars just to go to disney world and "stand" in front of agents. In my opinion I would just take normal acting classes and self submit to agencies rather than going through this company. Then they tell you they take headshots, which is off of the talent directors phone. That should tell you enough, if you're paying that money it should cover headshots professionally done. But instead they use their cell phone and print it out on copy paper. I didn't learn much from Barbizon and would not recommend wasting your money. read more