USA Today Miranda Cosgrove

The mercury has hit triple digits in Manhattan, but life is pretty cool for Miranda Cosgrove.

She stops at an exhibit at the Central Park Zoo and watches a grey parrot gnaw on a paper bag. Even as her mom and tutor wilt in the sun, Cosgrove shows nary a drop of sweat in her jeans, black-and-white top and sneakers.

"I've always wanted to come to the zoo - and especially the penguin exhibit," she says. "It's really cool."

Cosgrove is the perky star of iCarly, the highest-rated live-action series on Nickelodeon after Zoey 101. She plays the titular teen, an artsy kid who develops hit webcasts and lives with her brother in a loft. An iCarly Saves TV special airs tonight at 8, and the show's first soundtrack hit stores this week.

No wonder, then, that things are pretty cool for Cosgrove, 15. Having fans mob her at mall signings is "totally cool." Starring in her own show is "cool."

Cosgrove, who was discovered by a modeling agent at age 3, got her big break when she played teacher's pet Summer in the 2003 hit movie School of Rock. She also appeared on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh and Zoey 101.

Unlike her other characters, Cosgrove sees some of herself in Carly. "She's always hanging out with her friends, and I'm like that," she says. There are some differences, though. Carly is "more tech-savvy than I am. I still finger-peck."

Cosgrove lives with her parents in Los Angeles. After attending an online school last year, she's now home-schooled, "which is actually better because now all my friends and I have all the same textbooks," she says. "Pretty much all my friends are from elementary school, so I've known them forever."

She also uses her star power for good. "Recently Good Charlotte was on the show, and one of my friends is a big fan, so she came and was on set," Cosgrove says.

Another benefit of being on a hit series? "We have more cute boys in episodes. It's been fun."

Like most girls her age, she's noticing the opposite sex.

"All my girlfriends are starting to get boyfriends," she says. "I haven't yet. (But) I've been on a double-date before."

For fun, Cosgrove goes to the movies, shops and rides horses. She doesn't fret about being exposed to the same scrutiny as Miley Cyrus, Disney's megastar who made headlines over racy photos.

"I don't really worry about it," Cosgrove says. "I just like being with my friends and seeing movies and stuff. I don't have time to go crazy or anything. My mom's always on set with me, and my dad comes by a lot."

Cosgrove, who's writing songs for her first solo album, counts actresses Rachel McAdams and Anne Hathaway as her role models. Like Hathaway, Cosgrove plans to go to college.

"I'm 15, so I have a while," Cosgrove says. "But I'm already trying to decide. All my friends say NYU is cool, but I think if I can pick, I want to go to USC."