Can someone PLEASE help me?

I am attempting to apply for a Federal Student Loan through Sallie Mae. But I am new to this, so I don't know what the loan application consists of. I went to the website and I got to the point that you are asked to register and I thought I successfully created an account, but when I went to log in to continue the loan application process, it said no such account existed. To make matters worse, I received a letter from my school that said I have applied for a Federal Stafford loan, when I don't think I have. When applying for a loan on the Sallie Mae website, aren't you asked what amount you would like to borrow and to supply other information? I wasn't even asked what amount I needed to borrow (and as I said, it did not even create an account)...the only information I have provided to the Sallie Mae website was my social security number and my birthday in order to create the account (which wasn't even successful, apparently), so how could I have even applied for a loan (or is this how you apply)?