Though Penn State has received 5,700 more applications than this time last year, the university isn't planning to enroll a class as large as last fall's, Penn State President Graham Spanier said at Friday's Board of Trustees meeting.

"I am pleased to report that Penn State's popularity with prospective students continues to soar," he said. "As of last week, we were ahead by 8.8 percent over the same period the year before in total applications."

Spanier told the board that the university is planning to admit about 7,000 freshmen for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Last year, 8,027 full-time first-year undergraduate students enrolled, an increase of 24 percent from 2005.

The university was forced to expand several popular general education classes last fall to accommodate incoming freshmen, adding as many as 32 new sections to a course.

The Department of Housing and Food Services also felt a strain, as 1,299 students were forced to live in supplemental housing.

Eva Pell, vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, said that applications for graduate degrees are increasing as well.

Pell also said that while application rates for master's degrees are declining slightly, there are more students that are enrolling in Ph.D. programs that are offered at the university.

In 2006, the university graduated a record 674 doctoral degrees, an increase of 11.2 percent from the previous year.

Pell also reported that minority graduate enrollment is up, with last year's enrollment increasing for the first time in five years.

Partnerships with minority-serving institutions in both the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as support from the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, have contributed to the large growth in the minority applications, Pell added.

Despite the challenges it brings, Spanier said that he was pleased with Penn State's increased application rate.

"This is really a great testament to the value that students and families see in a Penn State degree," he said.