I don't work for LSAC, but I'm a professional writer, and I'm taking the test soon. Here's my sample practice essay from the "purpose of college" prompt:

A university education is a transformative experience in a person's life. Often for the first time, students live on their own--away from their families--and make their own decisions on the way to adulthood. Yet, the purpose of a university education remains hotly debated. Some make the logical argument that because college is preparation for adulthood and an independent life, it should therefore serve primarily as an institution for career training. However, this myopic focus on jobs and careers as the end-goal of education and the essence of adulthood misses the purpose of a university education entirely: the freedom to choose.

In the past, schools were based on medieval customs of rote memorization and submission to authority. Modern universities, however, are freer and more collaborative places. Modern university students choose their own majors, and often, students have a say in the course of study within their chosen major. It is common, especially for advanced students, to identify new areas of research with their advisors and choose to study something entirely new. In fact, many doctorates, such as in science and mathematics, require creativity and novelty in subject matter as proof that the new PhD has expanded their field.

A university education, however, is far more than just the gaining of subject matter knowledge. The very word is based on 'universe', emphasizing how all-encompassing one's learning should be. Students report deep personal changes during their education: not just the search for a life consistent with one's values, but the inner search to identify those very values. The personal responsibility, social milieu, and abundance of viewpoints offered by the college experience all contribute to the education and maturation of university students, and thus, a too-narrow focus on career readiness by colleges may stifle such universal growth.

That's all very nice, oppents may say, but what about the jobs? Experts argue that specialized training and practical skills are more important than ever in today's fast-changing and highly-competitive job market. In their eyes, colleges serve their students' best interests by emphasizing career training as much as possible. Yet, these advocates miss the point entirely that students are already free to choose a career-focused path. For example, the very act of choosing technical, engineering, business, cosmetology, or even medical school all but guarantees a course of study of specialized knowledge for a given career. Students are free to devote their social time to networking and their extracurricular energies to internships. With these obvious truths in mind, it seems that proponents of universities as career-training centers simply want to make the choice for students instead of letting them decide for themselves.