Big Little Preferencing
 

Hey ladies! I am the NMOC for iota mu chapter at lycoming college, and we had discussed changing the way we match up bigs and littles, but i cant really think of a way to do it better than we do now. So if you ladies could message me or email me the ways that your chapter designated bigs and littles maybe that could help me decide and bring a couple options to my chapter! my email address is schjess@lycoming.edu.

thanks so much ladies
<3

I'm the former NMOC at Iota Theta. Depending on the size of your chapter, you can change these numbers.

Sisters who were on financial or academic probation were not eligible to receive a little sister. Of course, you cant tell the NMs who that is, so we would let them list their preference, top 3, or 5 pick. The Bigs would also do a preference, or, informally say "I really want Suzy NM" or "I dont feel a connection with Jackie, I'd rather not be her Big". Ultimately, it came down to the what the new member wanted. But, in our histoy and our small chapter, we have also had to purposely NOT put two girls together who we knew would be bad influences (funny, those girls arent members anymore...)

You just gotta take it on a case by case bases. We tried to give the NMs their first choice, if possible, and if it wasnt a "bad idea". If it wasn't possible to give them their first choice, then we went down the list hoping to give somebody she would be happy with. We also took it out of our bylaws that you couldnt have more than 1 little. If a Big sister is well prepared and willing to take on the responsibility of having more than 1, and she wanted them like they wanted her, then she got them. We learned the hard way to not try to be "fair" to the bigs....ultimately, you should be "fair" to the NMs, that should be a priority. At least, it was in our case.

We as new members submitted our list of all the bigs we had had during our new member period in order of preference to the NMOC and then the bigs did the same thing. They matched everyone up based on preference. They tried to make sure everyone got who they wanted but sometimes . . . .
It was a surprise to the new members until the night of reveal which was very very fun. :)

We were a small chapter. When we did big/little preferences, the new members listed thier preference of bigs in order but our bigs didn't have a say in the match. We were allowed more than 1 little sister when the chapter doubled one semester and everyone had to take another little. The NMOC would ask current members who wanted to be Bigs. Recent new members or sisters without little got first preference of having a little -- but no choice of who it might be. The NMOC did try to match personalities and preferences but I do remember that sisters (New members) did not like their big and the whole thing had to be redone.

We always had the littles write down their top 4 choices and the bigs write their top 4 choices. Most of the time they matched up. But if new members were the top choice of several bigs, and were on the list of several new members the older big (i.e. a junior who didn't take a little the year previously) would get first dibs, then officers, and then points (we kept points to ensure attendance at school functions like speakers and stuff). Obviously those who were on financial probation or who had been in trouble did not get their choice of little if they got one at all.