Mechanical isn’t much easier to get into than aerospace. And yes, mechanical engineering is a solid, practical, open ended degree. There is a lot of excitement in aerospace now a days, however, and you can’t fault students for having stars in their eyes. But just as many other engineering degrees, an aerospace degree doesn’t mean you’ll only end up working in aerospace. A good friend has an undergrad in aerospace engineering and is working in some sort of biomechanics/robotics R&D. Which brings me to materials engineering that OP mentioned. There’s a lot of great work happening in materials engineering for aerospace applications. I recommend the book “The New Science of Strong Materials, or why you don’t fall through the floor” by J. E. Gordon for any aspiring engineers including the OP. It’s a little dated but an excellent read that might kindle OP’s passion for materials. And I think it’s not that difficult to change majors within the Engineering department at UCLA. But I’d look into the different disciplines and apply for the major you are most interested in studying so that your application has the strongest chance of being accepted. Good luck!
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