Make your essay more interesting and meet the word limit!
Case Study vs. Backstory
You should start and end your essay with your case study: a single, specific event that represents a broader growth or change.
If any backstory is necessary, don't put it in the intro. Summarize it when it becomes relevant later in the essay. You aren't legally obligated to tell a story in chronological order.
Bad Example
Let's say your essay is about a sand castle competition you entered. Here's a bad intro:
When I was in elementary school, I had this idea that I wanted to be a sand sculptor. Of course, I didn't know that was the name for it at the time, but the idea came from going to the beach one day and seeing some teenagers building a sand castle. A few years later, when I was in middle school, I would bring Ziploc bags full of sand to class and practice making little buildings on my desk. Then in high school, one of my teachers noticed that I had a real talent for sculpting sand when I made a sand Eiffel Tower while she was telling us about her summer Paris trip.
Be honest, did you read that whole paragraph?
Probably not; it was really boring. It was just backstory: going chronologically through elementary school, middle school, and high school. The case study isn't even mentioned.
Better Example
When I was younger, I didn't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. So imagine my surprise when my physics teacher told me after a lab that I had a real talent for sand sculpting—and handed me a flyer to the national sand castle competition!
Conclusion
Starting with the moment your goal or problem forms for your case study will help you meet the word limit and make your hook more engaging.
So, here's the question: Do you need to delete your intro?
– Aaron