Yup!

Back then they were basically hostile to the Common App.... in fact they called their app the Uncommon App (that was much more involved than their now 'uncommon essay' or whatever its called).

They were prestigious, and they knew it. "Our applicant pool is self-selecting. We're a unique place and not for everyone."

But then they hired McKinsey to advise on enhancing undergrad selectivity and US News ranking.... and a few things changed:

• They were an EA school at the time when there was a growing backlash against ED and EA programs. When other elite schools were dropping ED or moving to restrictive EA.... Chicago went the other way and adopted ED. And then they took it further with ED II. And then offering ED I, ED II plus EA, lmao. Now they have the top yield in the country by design.
• They prioritized feeder schools. Go back to the famous feeder schools and see their UChicago placement two decades ago... it didn't register. Now UChicago takes 20+ from multiple feeders schools, and it's the #1 destination at a lot of elite private schools by a huge margin.
• Their uniqueness was framed not as something that should turn people away.... but a marketing differentiator that should attract candidates.
• They moved to the Common App.... granted everyone was starting to do this... but UChicago was one of the first schools to adopt the Common App.
• They started doing a lot more marketing.

Anywho, it worked.