<p>I wouldn't say that internal transfers are "very hard and seldom succeed" - but one certainly shouldn't count on successfully transferring, because it is very competitive.</p>
<p>I would assume that an internal transfer from, say, CAS to Stern is easier than a transfer from your local state school to Stern, but there's no empirical evidence to prove it.</p>
<p>Actually, I know a great deal of average CAS students who got into Stern last year. NYU wouldn't want you to know, but it happens more frequently than you would think. I really don't know if it's easier to apply directly or not, but I would anyway. You don't want to be stuck in CAS if you intend to be in Stern. If you decide to apply to CAS first, take a lot of VERY easy classes (intensive in a second language that you already know well, statistics etc.) I know a girl who did this and because of her GPA, she got into Stern without trouble. Internal transfers at NYU seem almost guanteed after your first year if your GPA is good.</p>