Or at least, they could be buying your soul when you sign their two-step proxy acceptance form. Rather than simply broker a deal between you and a company, and then leave the two of you to sort out the employment terms, the Engineering COOP office has an unusual policy that requires you to accept employment before you see the offer. Only after you agree to work for a company for 28 weeks will they release the offer letter, with its terms and conditions, to you.

Naturally, they are trying to prevent competition and decisions made over salaries, but that should be left to the student. Strangely enough, the COOP office offers a FAQ about salaries, suggesting that:

“In any case, you should know the prevailing salary statistics for your field and degree level and should negotiate only when you feel your offer is not competitive”

Apparently they feel that salary is a factor in choosing a job, but yet require COOP students at Cornell to choose 28 weeks of employment blindly. Whether you are walking into a minimum wage hell or not, you will only know after it’s too late.

Update: Director Mark Savage replies

Because Co-op students are pursuing university business when on assignment, and because they are registered in-absentia as fulltime students during the time they are on assignment, Co-Op is considered an academic program that allows students to apply what they have learned in the classroom. It is not intended to be a job that one does for monetary gain (that would be an internship or summer job). [...] Students may discuss housing options and other benefits with employers.

Actually, companies are told by your office not to discuss options with students until after they have accepted the offer, from what I’ve heard.

[...] However, we will likely review this policy with our employer partners in the near future, and may or may not recommend adjustments. [...] Average salary is in the range of $2,700/month, a reasonable salary for any student of Co-op age. Of course, should a company offer a salary that is not competitive, we would work with them to adjust their offers accordingly. This is why companies involved in the Co-op program must be approved before taking students.

Personally, I believe the policy will remain the same, unless there is a mass of student protests. If you’re an Engineering COOP student and hate the lack of transparency in the COOP offer process, please write Mark Savage and explain your opinion:

Mark Savage, Director
Engineering Co-Op & Career Services
Cornell University, 201 Carpenter Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-2201