# Conservatory String Audition Preparation: Prescreen to Live Plan

Canonical: https://arcosounds.com/exam-prep/college-conservatory

Updated: 2026-09-06

Organize institution-specific string audition requirements, prescreen files and live starts with a free requirements-matrix exercise and honest package limits.

College and conservatory requirements differ by institution, programme and admission year. A prescreen and a live audition may request different material. Build a source-linked comparison before choosing repertoire, and distinguish music you can prepare from material that satisfies a particular institution’s current rules.

## Before you build a plan

- Create a separate row for each institution, degree programme and admission year.

- Distinguish prescreen repertoire, live repertoire, deadlines and format requirements.

- Check accompaniment, movement selections, memorization and requested excerpts directly.

- Have a teacher review suitability; Arco does not provide admissions advice, faculty review or an acceptance prediction.

## Original exercise: A requirements conflict check

1. Create columns for institution, official source, prescreen task, live task, deadline and unresolved question.

2. Enter only requirements you can trace to the current official page.

3. Circle any work or movement that appears reusable, then verify the allowed selection separately for each institution.

### Check your work

A shared work is reusable only when it independently satisfies each requirement. A blank or ambiguous cell is a question to resolve with the institution, not permission to assume a familiar rule.

## A common mistake

Preparing one universal audition package before checking each school. A small difference in movements or video instructions can require substantial extra work.

## Supported Arco packages

Monthly prices for one selected instrument, pathway and level. Board entry fees are not included.

- Pre college · Violin: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Aviolin%3Acollege-conservatory%3Apre-college)

- Pre college · Viola: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Aviola%3Acollege-conservatory%3Apre-college)

- Pre college · Cello: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Acello%3Acollege-conservatory%3Apre-college)

- Pre college · Bass: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Abass%3Acollege-conservatory%3Apre-college)

- Undergraduate · Violin: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Aviolin%3Acollege-conservatory%3Aundergraduate)

- Undergraduate · Viola: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Aviola%3Acollege-conservatory%3Aundergraduate)

- Undergraduate · Cello: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Acello%3Acollege-conservatory%3Aundergraduate)

- Undergraduate · Bass: $25/month. [Select package](https://arcosounds.com/signup?package=exam%3Abass%3Acollege-conservatory%3Aundergraduate)

## What the package does and does not include

Arco is independent of the exam boards and institutions. Packages provide preparation planning, requirements links and weekly task tracking, not exam entry, teacher assessment, official papers or a guaranteed result. Only published original knowledge-support collections are scored in question sessions; no question bank is promised for other selections. Instrument learning is a separate $15/month package. Each selected package is billed separately; review its terms before purchasing.

## Official source and verification scope

[NAfME: student opportunities directory](https://nafme.org/student-opportunities/)

A discovery directory, not the requirements for your audition. Your named institution or director and current audition-year documents are authoritative. Arco has not verified a particular institution’s audition rules here.

## Continue learning

[Compare frameworks](https://arcosounds.com/exam-prep)

[Compare violin pathways](https://arcosounds.com/exam-prep/compare/violin)

[Compare cello pathways](https://arcosounds.com/exam-prep/compare/cello)

[Free scales reference](https://arcosounds.com/learn/scales)

[Free metronome](https://arcosounds.com/tools/metronome)

Canonical source: https://arcosounds.com/exam-prep/college-conservatory