Exhibit 10.42

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTTHE PRINCETON REVIEW, INC.

This employment Agreement is between Young Shin (Exec) and The Princeton Review, Inc. (TPR), and is subject to the terms of the current form of the Executive Compensation Policy Statement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A (the Policy Statement) and of a letter agreement between the parties of even date herewith. Terms may be defined in The Princeton Review Glossary, the current form of which governs this Agreement and is attached as Exhibit B. This Agreement supersedes any previous employment agreement.

|1. | Job Description:Commencing on February 18th,   Exec shall serve as the General Manager/EVP TPRs Admissions Division,   performing such duties as are reasonable and customary for such positions   within a business of this type, and shall report solely and directly to TPRs   President and Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer. The base office   from which Exec shall perform his duties shall be TPRs New York City (NYC)   offices (the Base Office); provided, however, that Exec shall have the   right to also perform his duties from San Francisco (SF) subject to the   terms of this Agreement.                                                                                                                              
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|2. | Compensation:TPR shall pay in cash to Exec   a base salary of $210,000 per year, increasing by 3% (or 5% if Exec has   permanently relocated from SF to NYC at TPRs request), each year on February   15th, payable in 26 bi-weekly installments. Exec shall also   receive the same medical, dental, life insurance or other health-related   benefits as other senior executives of the TPR. He shall also receive a bonus   of up to 50% of base salary, based on the Bonus Calculation described below   in Appendix A. The amount of the bonus paid shall be based on the Bonus   Calculation described below in Appendix A, but shall not be less than 33% for   the 2003 calendar year, and 25%for   the 2004 calendar year of the maximum bonus available.
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|3. | Stock Option Grant:TPR shall grant Exec an   option to purchase 45,000 shares of TPRs Common Stock, as authorized by   TPRs Compensation Committee, at fair market value as indicated by the   closing market price of REVU on Execs first day of employment. These options   shall be subject to the terms and conditions of The Princeton Review, Inc.   Stock Option Grant attached hereto.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
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|4. | Term:Notwithstanding Section 3.1 of the   Policy Statement, this Agreement shall expire on February 14th,   2005 but shall be automatically extended for additional two-year periods upon   the completion of the initial term and any two-year extension period   thereafter until (i) Exec voluntarily terminates employment or (ii) TPR gives   contrary written notice to Exec at least 6 months prior to the completion of   the initial term or any two-year extension period thereafter. TPR will not be   under any obligation to make additional option grams to Exec, such as those   described in paragraph 3 above, for any extension terms of this Agreement   unless agreed by TPR and Exec.                                                           
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|5. | Severance Payments and Benefits:Except as   described in Section 7 below, if TPR terminates Execs employment without   Cause, then in addition to the payments provided under Section 5.1 of the   Policy Statement, but in lieu of the payments provided under Section 5.3 of   the Policy Statement, TPR will pay Exec his base salary plus benefits for                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          



|    | an additional six months.   After twelve months of employment, Execs
severance   payments and benefits provided in this paragraph 5 shall be extended by one   month, up to a maximum of twelve months, for each additional two months of   full-time employment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
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|6.  | Right to   Perform From SF:Unless   and until TPR requests that Exec permanently relocate to the Base Office,   Exec shall have the right to also perform his duties from SF; provided that   without the prior consent of TPR, Exec shall spend at least 8 out of every   consecutive 60 business days working from the Base Office. Exec represents   that he has a residence available to him at no cost to TPR for use during the   times that he works from the Base Office. TPRs reimbursement obligation for   Execs travels to and from SF to the Base Office shall be limited to economy   airfare, ground transportation and, upon prior notice and for good reason,   nights in a hotel in NYC. TPR may in its discretion also reimburse meal and   other reasonable expenses for Exec incurred during his operations from the   Base Office.                                                                                                                                                                           
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|7.  | Relocation   to Base Office:Exec   agrees to promptly respond to TPRs written request made within the first 15   months of this Agreement that he permanently relocate to, and operate solely   from, the Base Office. Unless Exec agrees to such a request within thirty   days, TPR may terminate Exec, and Exec will receive as his sole remedy   one-half of the severance rights he would receive for a termination without   Cause notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or the Policy   Statement. In no event shall such request or relocation constitute being   Reassigned under the Policy Statement. Exec agrees that he will be   permanently operating from the Base Office within 60 days of any such   request, and TPR agrees to reimburse reasonable and documented direct moving   expenses approved in advance by TPR in writing in connection with any   permanent move of Execs residence to the NYC area that occurs within 120   clays of the request
and while this Agreement is in place.
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|8.  | Right to   be Connected:Exec   will be provided with or be reimbursed for the reasonable cost of cell phone   service, DSL or cable modem connection service at his primary residence, and   a laptop computer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
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|9.  | Executive   Education:TPR   agrees that, at the Execs request, Exec may attend up to an aggregate of one   week of educational programs each year, which are generally intended to   assist him perform his job, at no charge to his vacation days. TPR shall pay   up to $10,000.00 each year for such educational programs (including travel   and lodging) at accredited educational institutions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|10. | Indemnity:Exec represents   that he is not party to any agreement which restricts or impairs the use of   any information now held by Exec or which could in any way restrict or impair   Execs full performance under this Employment Agreement. Further, Exec agrees   not to use or disclose anyone elses previously obtained trade secrets or   proprietary information, however obtained by Exec, in connection with his   employment at TPR.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

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|Agreed to this February   18, 2003 |  |               
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|/s/ Mark Chernis                   |  | /s/ Young Shin
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|Mark Chernis                       |  | Young Shin    
|President, TPR                     |  |               

Appendix A - Bonus Calculation

Bonus for 2003 shall be awarded according to the following objectives:

| | (a) | 50% | Admissions Services   division achieves annual financial objectives as set by 2003 TPR Budget.   Bonus will be paid out according to standard TPR financial bonus matrix as   determined annually by TPR.
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| | (b) | 20% | Company achieves annual   financial objectives as set by 2003 TPR Budget Bonus will be paid out   according to standard TPR financial bonus matrix as determined annually by   TPR.                      
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| | (c) | 30% | Based upon mutually agreed   upon job specific objectives determined within 60 days of Execs start   date or, if no agreement is reached, then based on b) above.                                       

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