/r/archaeology is probably a better sub to ask this question since it is not a historical question.

When I was a junior in high school (in a previous century) I decided I was going to study Old World archaeology (pre-Classic). I have worked with archaeologists ever since, but I found my interests wandering from one exciting horizon to the next. Besides anthropology, I picked up degrees in history and studied folklore, all of which was a long way from the Upper Paleolithic.

I recommend that you use the energy that your interest gives you and go for the brass ring. But don't be surprised if your interests and goals change as you encounter inspirations you can't even imagine. Try to take a broad smattering of courses, and be prepared to be flexible. If handled correctly, it can be a great ride. Good luck - and enjoy!

You need to decide what kind of archaeology you want to go into. Classical Archaeology is commonly found in Classics programs and has a language aspect to it that, I believe, Anthropology does not.

I can't recommend a school for it as it depends on what area of Classical Archeology you want to focus on, but my school, FSU, is pretty decent at it.

My advice would be to find a school that offers archaeology in addition to some of other subfields of anthropology (linguistics, physical anthropology, and cultural anthropology). This broader approach will definitely give you a better context to how archaeology fits into the discipline. The University of Chicago should definitely qualify. I have to give you a cautionary note though. I'm an archaeologist and as I'm sure you can imagine job opportunities are scarce. The Cultural Resource Management field is really the only option outside of a straight academic track. It basically involves archaeological testing before major infrastructure projects in order to identify and try to avoid damage to and destruction of archaeological sites. The vast majority of people who do this are temporary workers hired on a per project basis (no benefits). Work can be sporadic and widespread. You have to be willing to travel. The pay is not great and with the unreliability of consistent work many people find paying back the huge loans they accrued to get their degrees untenable. My suggestion is to take a "field school" offered through the department as early as possible. This will let you know fairly quickly if it is for you. The work is very physically demanding. Hope this helps.

First, you should decide what part of the world you want to study. Not all schools are equally good in all areas of the world. It also will depend on what you want to do afterwards. Do you want to go straight into CRM archaeology? (that's salvage archaeology in the US) Or do you want to go into academia,and teach? Or do you want to work in an associated discipline, such as museum studies, or as a specialist somewhere?

Some of these questions don't need to be answered yet. But you should think about what area of the world you like to study most. Are you interested in Native American archaeology? Mesoamerica? What region of the Americas? Or are you interested in the Ancient Near East? Or Egypt? Or East Asia? Or Europe? Rome and Greece?

Each school will be stronger or weaker in various areas, based on the professors they have in those departments. For example, the school I went to (a small liberal arts college outside Chicago) is strong in my field of study, but has practically nothing else. Not the best place to go if you are interested in the Aztecs, Vikings, Native Americans, etc. The University of Chicago is a well-respected institution in the world of archaeology. They have a strong group of archaeological theorists, and they have an emphasis on the ancient languages.

If you let us know what area of the world you are interested in, we might be able to offer up some suggestions.