High school ➡️ university

I'm a senior in high school and I am insanely stressed out about applying to college and deciding on a major.

Background:

All of my life I have wanted to become a psychiatrist. I love the brain and I just find it very intriguing. I like the study of different mental illnesses. I think I was in 5th grade when I decided thats what i wanted to do.

Recently I have realized just how much that is going to cost me. It will cost me 12-15 years of my life. My life won't start until I am in my mid 30s. It will cost me 30k a year in college and then another 40k a year in medical school and that is IF I get in. Only 50% who apply get in.

It's a risk to take if I go that route and there won't be a lot of careers that I would like to have with a bachelors degree in psych pre med.

I've started looking into majoring in American Sign Language/English interpreting. I've always had a fascination with it and had been planning on minoring in it.

I like that idea of my life starting at 23-24 and being immersed in a whole other culture. I like the idea of being bi-lingual and then being able to teach my children as well.

I'm not sure what to do, I think I'm starting to lean more towards asl but I'm not sure my parents are happy about it because they think I'm taking the easy way out.

I think I'm being practical. I don't want to be in debt for my entire life. I want to start my life before 30. And I know that being an interpreter could make me happy.

It's just deciding whether or not to give up on the dream I've had since I was 10 is a really hard choice.

I'd really love some opinions! Is any one else a senior trying to figure out what they want to do? Share your story!