<p>the "my dad is my hero" essay is mos def in the top 5, although it really depends. My essay is going to be about my dad, but not why he is my hero, the essay is going to be about me. That being said, be careful on the common app on questions like "describe someone who has influenced you" or "evaluate a contemporary issue of significant importance", because those aren't directly asking about YOU, which the colleges want to know about.</p>
<p>But really, it all matters on how original your approach is. Someone I know who got into Princeton wrote an essay about how her mother taught her it was important to smile at people. Its sounds both silly and cliched (smiling AND her mother), but she was a good writer</p>
<p>Strategically, it might help you stand out to do a cliched topic in an original way as opposed to just an original topic. As the admissions officers look through the generic "my dad is my hero" essays and whatnot, and then see yours on the same basic topic but written originally, they'll be impressed. I don't really know if that's a good idea, that's just a theory I have. Don't quote me on it.</p>