Continued from page 2

Two Cool

Friday April 30, 2004 09:25 AM EDT

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At the same time, the preternaturally perky duo recognize that their transition to adulthood may come as a surprise to those who still view them as the two moppets from Full House. Just 9 months old at the time of their showbiz debut on the ABC sitcom – to this day their first and only audition – they have been in the public eye ever since. Even they can't quite believe that they're almost voting age. "We're so short and tiny. We can't be going to college!" says Mary-Kate. "I can't live on my own!"

Well, not technically on her own; as always, where Mary-Kate goes, so does Ashley (and vice versa). The fraternal twins – they only look identical – never considered attending different colleges. "We've wanted to go to [NYU] since we were like 10," says Ashley, whose reputation has long been that of the more serious twin, with Mary-Kate portrayed as the more laidback of the two. Neither description is accurate, says Dualstar Entertainment CEO Robert Thorne, who has guided the girls' company from its inception. "People expect a yin and a yang, and it ain't there," he says. "It's just that Mary-Kate is a little more free-spirited and Ashley is a little more structured. Ashley's a little more of a worrier; Mary-Kate is a little more, 'It will sort itself out.'"

Thorne consults with each girl separately on every major business decision. "It's always two calls," he says. "And I very rarely get, 'Let my sister handle that.' They're equally voracious to know what the company is up to."