Deriving The Standard Model From Superstring Theory

I outline a program to derive the Standard Model directly from superstring theory. I present a class of three generation superstring standard--like models in the free fermionic formulation. I discuss some phenomenological properties of these models. In particular these models suggest an explanation for the top quark mass hierarchy. A numerical estimate yielded $m_t\sim175-180~GeV$. The general texture of fermion mass matrices was obtained from analysis of nonrenormalizable terms up to order $N=8$.I argue that the realistic features of these models are due to the underlying $Z_2\times Z_2$ orbifold, with standard embedding, at the free fermionic point in toroidal compactification space.