The Princeton Review, Inc. (REVU)

I think Kaplan is the better company... Dont get me wrong- Princeton Review offers great services- but it is too expensive and are often used by kids looking to go to some of the most selective, private colleges. With the economic climate, I think many families will take their chances and do their own study, or go for the less expensive state schools and forget about spending thousands on more SAT Prep- so all in all, good service, bad company-

This account tracks the performance of newly minted 4 star stocks - 3 star stocks that recently turned in to 4 star stocks.

Quick look at the balance sheet shows stabilizing financials and slight reduction in debt. I'd like to see some insider buying instead of selling.

But with the stock near lows I think it could recover fast with a decent earnings report.

If the economy goes down, more customers. Up? Higher prices.

Either way, we're in good shape investing in this small-cap company with a blue-chip brand name.

Restructuring

Nose dive wiil turn. Hopefully earnings forc. will hold true, REVU will be a hit.

As the economy continues on its sluggish route, more recent grads are encountering severe difficulty in finding suitable (entry-level) jobs. Currently graduate schools across the country are predicting (and experiencing) record-breaking number of applications; as more individuals are applying for graduate schools, they rely on test preparation serivices to help them get into the best schools and qualify for scholarships.

I worked for TPR when I was in grad school, and I found their philosophy and strategies to beating the tests to be very effective.

Their methods produce results, and I expect the company to do likewise.

At support

hg

Satisfied customer of their SAT preparation course (offered by my high school for free) and their AP course study books. Their "Joe Bloggs" test taking method can be taught to underperforming students to significantly raise their test scores. I foresee more testing in the future as the US Department of Education continues to grow (unless Ron Paul is elected) and with laws such as No Child Left Behind which mandate standardized testing across the board. Someone's gotta teach how to beat the tests, and REVU will.

Target $15

They are in trouble and a turn around will take some time.

Although, I am taking a class from them right now, and I must say the test prep is terrific.

Stock sucks though.

This is a turnaround play. New management is headed in the right direction. It looks like a good place to put some speculative money.

HG BOMB, bankrupt in 5 years

The bomb of HG pick

none right now

New management and Bain Capital's investment make this a very strong turn-around play. The balance sheet has improved with Bain's investment (the preferred that was retired was punitive enough to keep the stock down on its own).

I like the fact that the company just acquired two new franchises. I expect nice growth while management makes fairly easy expense changes to improve margins.

Main reason I rate this on the downside, is because as a prospective law school student studying for my LSAT, the Princeton Review workbook I bought is poorly written and confuses more than it teaches.