@dragonfly26 - 8K a year is a reasonable amount of debt given the quality of education that you are suggesting. Over time, you may be able to whittle that down a bit by working summers, buying used textbooks, looking for cheaper living arrangements/meal plan options. Especially if you do a service job like Peace Corps or Teach for America after your graduate, you will be able to draw down that debt quickly.
Regarding advisors, typically you’re assigned somebody when you enter a college and then once you pick a major, you should be shifted to an advisor in your major. It doesn’t work that way everywhere, but that’s what is likely.
Good luck!