The home to one of the largest Chinese student populations in the U.S. got more than 7,000 applications for 2019-20, up from 5,950 last year and 6,728 the year before, according to figures provided by the Office of Admissions. CHAMPAIGN — After a well-publicized drop in Chinese student enrollment at the University of Illinois last fall, applications hit a new record for the coming school year despite travel warnings from the Chinese government and talk of tighter restrictions on U.S.