Go to Hood, Get an iPad

So, I’m indulging a bit here, but I felt compelled to report that a college from my hometown has decided to give incoming freshmen an iPad 2 as part of a pilot program. I’ve written about schools that have decided to hand out Apple products to students in the past, and it certainly has become a growing trend.

According to President Ron Volpe, Hood College, located in Frederick, Maryland, will be providing over 300 students with an iPad 2 during the 2011 academic year. During the orientation session over the summer, he personally handed out the first one to a student from Rindge, NH. The student had decided to attend Hood before he knew of the plan, but Volpe noted that others solidified their choice after learning they would receive an iPad.

One student noted, “I had already liked Hood, and when I heard they were giving away iPads, I was like, ‘I’m definitely coming here!’”

In addition, the iPads each have an “iHood” application installed that features a campus map, academic calendar and directory, the college website, the Frederick weather forecast and the college’s YouTube site. Each student has the option to insure it since if it were to break before school starts, it would not be replaced by the college.

Volpe said that the program will be evaluated later this fall to see if it’s worth continuing. They will maintain the use of iPads in other areas, though. For example, the library will use several for checkout and iPads will be available for use in the classroom at the discretion of the professor.

What say you? Have you or someone you know ever attended a school because they were providing an iPod, iPhone or iPad? Does it seem like a beneficial academic tool or an unnecessary expense?