I'm the top student in each of my classes, and will be transferring next semester or the one after... and have no idea where I want to go.

I probably can't get into an elite college, but I'd like to go to go somewhere that will challenge me (around here I'm the best student... but this little community college doesn't exactly get the cream of the crop). Money and location are only minor issues.

I'd like to eventually... do something cool in the field =P... I'm not in it for the money... I love the logic... love the math... just feel at home behind a keyboard (and have since I was 5)

I don't care how good my degree looks... I just want to learn as much as possible before I graduate.

The harsh reality is that you'll learn more on your own or on the job than you will from college. Since that's the case, pick the school that will look best on a resume and do all of the following in your spare time:

1) Read, read, read.
2) Practice programming by tinkering with toy projects. This gives you an in depth understanding of how things work.
3) Work on an open source project. This gives you real development experience and also puts your name in the pool for fishing employers.

seems like I'm doing ok so far, then...

maybe I'd be better off getting an EE degree? from what I hear the logic is universal for the two... as long as I'm doing programming outside of class... I could just fill in the gap between EE and CS on my own... get 2 skills for the price of one?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not EE
I had to take a Digital Logic course in 2nd year WOW was that boring do you really want to be tinkering around with circuit boards? Or would you rather be playing with Robots or programming P2P systems or studing Quantum Computation (ok the last option may be a bit of a stretch.)
Anyway......
I am a senior in Computer Science and here is my two cents. I agree with Narue
read and program as much as you can. When I get an option on an assignment or term project to code or write a term paper I code. I also got a part-time gig as a programmer at a research lab on campus which helps. Also one of my AI prof's told us that by now we are expected to know at least 12 different programming languages so if you have the time and you are allowed, try programming the assignment in a language you aren't used to.
You said that you want to goto a place that will challenge you, the most important thing is challenge yourself. Don't be like lots of guys in my class who complain about how school is boring and they aren't learning anything I, for one, have learned alot and that is mostly because I challenged myself. Most schools in my experience are very similar to one anouther where they differ seems to be in centers of excellence. For example school X may have a GREAT AI lab (yahoo!) where as school Y might be solid in Computer Graphics research. Look at what the schools you are interested in offer as far as areas of specialization I think thats important. Also teachers! Research the Faculty find out who's on staff and if they have done any recent work or if they are just, for lack of a better word, coasting. This is easy to do as most Comp Sci departments have their faculty listings on line.
Also campus life is important go to a University where you think it has more to offer in .... other areas besides Comp Sci
I don't get out from behind a computer that often but its nice to have the option.

I think thats it for me.

Ciao

... EE always sounded boring to me... but one of my friends just can't get enough of it, and is always telling me the pro's...


but yeah, I'd much rather be working on AI...


and, now that you mention it... AI is really what I'm the most interested in... I've read through Goedel, Escher, Bach 3 times now =P

... since I made this post I had alread decided to stick with CS... but possibly go for a CS/EE dual major... though I'll probably just take some extra years of CS... maybe get a master's or doctorate degree

Awesome sounds like your on the right track. I have been asked to do a Masters by one of my AI profs. I am still undecided though.