Teen Girls' Health

Miranda Cosgrove Preps for College

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Miranda Cosgrove's Style

Finding the right path means experimenting in other areas of her life as well. Take fashion. It's not easy to admit in Hollywood—a place where everyone seems to have her own look and fave designer—that you don't have a signature style. But Cosgrove confesses she's still figuring it all out.

"I've gone through phases where I've tried things that didn't really work, but my mom helps me with that," she says. "We shop together a lot, and she's really good with fashion." While Cosgrove is more of a jeans and sweatshirt girl on workdays, she does love dolling up in heels and a leather jacket when she's headed out with friends.

Downtime often means chilling with her best friend and next-door neighbor, Nina, watching DVDs, making up parody songs on the guitar, or going to a kickboxing class.

Cosgrove Cares for Children

But to rejuvenate her soul, Cosgrove leaves movies and music behind and heads to Memphis, where she visits patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org). She made her first trip to the hospital about six years ago. She met a girl her age who was going through chemotherapy and was moved by their connection.

She's returned twice since then to spend some time with the kids, most recently with the cast of iCarly. During the visit, the girl she had befriended ran up and hugged her. "I didn't know her whole story the first time, but she gave a speech to the cast and told us what it was like at the hospital. I remember thinking I could totally be friends with her. I'm never going to forget her." (At press time, Cosgrove says she hopes to go back soon and plans on visiting children's hospitals in various parts of the country during her summer tour.)

There was another unforgettable encounter in Washington, D.C., last Christmas, when she performed with other artists at the White House. "I was really nervous," Cosgrove says. "And then I got to meet President Obama before I went on, which made me more nervous."

The president cleverly referenced her role as a preppy band manager in School of Rock. "It was really funny. He was joking around, and I just thought, this is crazy that he knew about the movie," she says, sounding delightfully awestruck. "And crazy that he knew about me!"