  I investigate the role of nonrenormalizable terms, up to order N=8, in a
superstring derived standard--like model. I argue that nonrenormalizable terms
restrict the gauge symmetry, at the Planck scale, to be $SU(3)\times
SU(2)\times U(1)_{B-L}\times U(1)_{T_{3_R}}$ rather than $SU(3)\times
SU(2)\times U(1)_Y$. I show that breaking the gauge symmetry directly to the
Standard Model leads to breaking of supersymmetry at the Planck scale, or to
dimension four, baryon and lepton violating, operators. I show that if the
gauge symmetry is broken directly to the Standard Model the cubic level
solution to the F and D flatness constraints is violated by higher order terms,
while if $U(1)_{Z^\prime}$ remains unbroken at the Planck scale, the cubic
level solution is valid to all orders of nonrenormalizable terms. I discuss the
Higgs and fermion mass spectrum. I demonstrate that realistic, hierarchical,
fermion mass spectrum can be generated in this model.
