diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5b062ef..29a20cb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,4 +6,5 @@ firebase.js
 # backend
 /backend/config.js
 /backend/node_modules
-/backend/package-lock.json
\ No newline at end of file
+/backend/package-lock.json
+.vercel
diff --git a/student-match/src/app/loginForm/loginForm.tsx b/student-match/src/app/loginForm/loginForm.tsx
index 8cff371..95f13ed 100644
--- a/student-match/src/app/loginForm/loginForm.tsx
+++ b/student-match/src/app/loginForm/loginForm.tsx
@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@ import React, { useState } from "react";
 import "./loginForm.css";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 // Correct import for Firebase v9+
-import {
-  getAuth,
-  createUserWithEmailAndPassword,
-  signInWithEmailAndPassword,
-} from "firebase/auth";
+import { signInWithEmailAndPassword } from "firebase/auth";
 import { auth } from "../firebase/firebase"; // Adjust the path as necessary
 
 const LoginForm: React.FC = () => {
@@ -25,10 +21,42 @@ const LoginForm: React.FC = () => {
     setFormData({ ...formData, [name]: value });
   };
 
+  const getUserRequest = async (userId: string) => {
+    // Get user from MongoDB
+    const url = "http://ec2-3-140-189-217.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com/api/user/id/";
+    const response = await fetch(url + userId, {
+      method: "GET",
+      headers: {
+        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      },
+    });
+    if (response.status == 200) {
+      const data = await response.json();
+      // data is user data. Store in some state to indicate which user is currently logged in
+      global?.window?.localStorage?.setItem("user", JSON.stringify(data));
+      return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }; 
+
+  // TODO: add warnings for invalid email/password, invalid auth, etc.
   const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
     e.preventDefault();
-    global?.window?.localStorage?.setItem("user", JSON.stringify(formData)); 
-    router.push("/homePage");
+    signInWithEmailAndPassword(auth, formData.email, formData.password)
+      .then((res) => {
+        getUserRequest(res.user.uid)
+          .then((res) => {
+            if (res) {
+              router.push("/homePage");
+            }
+          })
+          .catch((error) => {
+            console.log("Error getting user:", error);
+          });
+      })
+      .catch((error) => {
+        console.log(error)
+      });
   };
 
   return (
diff --git a/student-match/src/app/signUpForm/page.tsx b/student-match/src/app/signUpForm/page.tsx
index bd913e7..cc3f8fa 100644
--- a/student-match/src/app/signUpForm/page.tsx
+++ b/student-match/src/app/signUpForm/page.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const SignUpForm: React.FC = () => {
 
   const createUserRequest = async (data: Object) => {
     // Adds user to MongoDB
-    const url = "http://localhost/api/user";
+    const url = "http://ec2-3-140-189-217.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com/api/user";
     const response = await fetch(url, {
       method: "POST",
       headers: {
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const SignUpForm: React.FC = () => {
     return false;
   };
 
+  // TODO: add warnings for invalid email/password, if email exists, etc.
   const handleSubmit = async (e: React.FormEvent) => {
     e.preventDefault();
     // Use Firebase Auth to create a new user
@@ -54,12 +55,14 @@ const SignUpForm: React.FC = () => {
           email: formData.email,
           phoneNumber: formData.phoneNumber,
         };
-        // call createUserRequest function with formData object
         createUserRequest(data)
           .then((res) => {
             if (res) {
               router.push("/homePage");
             }
+          })
+          .catch((error) => {
+            console.error("Error creating user:", error);
           });
       })
       .catch((error) => {