Updated: 27 October 2026 · Redream team
You may have every required document and still encounter upload problems: an unsupported format, missing pages or unreadable scans. This guide focuses on preparing digital files and checking them before submission. To identify the documents you need, start with our document checklist and your programme’s instructions.
The answer in 30 seconds
- Read each upload field’s requirements: PDF is not accepted everywhere.
- Check names, stamps and page edges after scanning and compression.
- Arrange originals and translations as instructed and retain an untouched source copy.
- Check the uploaded file and submission status, not just the filename shown in the field.
1. Make a technical checklist
For each document, record accepted format, maximum size, number of files and who must upload it. A referee may need to submit a recommendation directly. Requirements can differ between universities and degree levels.
Keep a copy of the instructions and the date you checked them. If an older guide conflicts with current application instructions, ask admissions to clarify before submitting.
2. Should everything become a PDF?
No. Tsinghua’s undergraduate portal guide describes separate JPG/JPEG pages and warns that a later upload in a field may replace previous files. This illustrates why portal behaviour matters; check your current application rather than treating it as a universal rule.
Where one PDF is required, combine only the relevant pages in the requested order. For separate images, use clear page numbering. Changing a filename ending from JPG to PDF does not convert the file: export properly and reopen the result.
3. Scan for readability
Tsinghua’s graduate application instructions require colour scans of original or notarised documents using a scanner and reject phone or camera photographs. A clear phone photo therefore does not meet every programme’s rules.
Inspect names, dates, grades, signatures and stamps, without cropped edges or glare. Correct orientation without altering information. Keep the original high-quality scan and reduce size only on a working copy.
4. Match originals with translations
Xiamen’s 2027 master’s guide requires notarised English or Chinese translations for documents in other languages and original diploma documents for registration checks. Confirm the requirements of your own programme.
Compare page counts, names and dates. Machine translation does not replace a required certified translation. Technical upload acceptance is not administrative approval. Use separate original and translation fields where provided.
5. Use clear filenames and folders
Choose names such as FamilyName_Transcript_01.pdf or FamilyName_Diploma_EN.pdf, subject to portal instructions. Avoid confusing “final new 3” versions and unnecessary passport numbers or banking details in filenames.
Separate originals, translations, upload-ready files and submission receipts. Keep a university-specific version when requirements differ. See our multiple-application organisation guide.
6. Troubleshoot rejected files
- Too large: compress gradually and recheck text and stamps; there is no universal size limit.
- Wrong format: export to the required format instead of renaming the extension.
- Missing pages: compare the count and order with the original after merging.
- Cannot open: test locally and check that password protection does not prevent review.
- Persistent error: record the message and time, then contact official support before the deadline.
Hide unnecessary personal information in support screenshots. Prefer local processing for sensitive documents over untrusted online conversion sites.
7. Check before final submission
- Open or preview uploaded files inside the portal where possible.
- Check the correct field, page order and absence of duplicate pages.
- Confirm the status of documents submitted by others, including recommendations.
- Review identity and programme details, then submit as instructed.
- Save the application number, status and confirmation, and monitor messages afterwards.
Distinguish saving from final submission. Leave time before the deadline to resolve problems. Do not delete an already submitted application or create a duplicate to fix an error without university guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Should I combine the whole application into one PDF?
Only if requested. A portal may require separate categories or one image per page.
Can I remove a stamp to make a scan cleaner?
No. Rescan more clearly while keeping the complete document unchanged.
Does a successful upload mean admission?
No. Uploading is a technical step; the university assesses document eligibility and makes the admission decision.
Check your readiness to apply to China
Share your study level and intended programme through the Redream form to organise your application steps and the questions to confirm with the university.