<p>I know how confusing that sounds, but what I mean is if it's ok to put something like "As I was writing this essay, I realized..." or "When I saw the prompts, I knew immediately I wanted to choose this one because...". Those particular lines sounds kind of cheesy, but I hope you get what I'm talking about.</p>
<p>There are times when it’s okay to be self-referential, but IMO there’s absolutely no reason to say the kinds of things you mentioned.</p>
<p>I agree with halcyonheather, it is something that never comes off well.</p>
<p>Use your very strict word count to get directly to the point you want to make. Referencing the essay doesn’t add anything meaningful to your message.</p>
<p>i agree with niceday.</p>