The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency of occurrence of the cognitive style of field dependence in "new" students in the community college. The study sample consisted of 633 students from six community colleges, 379 of which had college admissions test scores available. Of these 379 students, 203 had scored at or below the thirty-third percentile ("new" students) and 84 scored at or above the sixty-seventh percentile (traditional students). Cognitive styles of the sample students were measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test, and preferences for social and structural aspects of the learning environment and for community college programs were measured by means of a questionnaire. Results of the study showed that the cognitive style of field dependence occurred significantly more frequently in "new" students than in traditional students, that field dependent students had preferences for college majors which emphasized interpersonal skills and for majors which involved writing and discussion, and that field dependent students preferred courses which were highly structured. Implications and recommendations for instruction, counseling, and institutional planning are presented, based on the needs and preferences of field dependent students. A bibliography and the preference questionnaire are appended. (JDS)