“I just want to respectfully point out, for the people who are saying there’s no need to date because of all the extensive research that the parents do”
I never heard of any chosid who doesn’t have at least one beshow (i.e. a “date”), so this point isn’t relevant.
“And I’m not certain that one meeting is enough to tell if the conversational chemistry is there, since first dates can often be awkward anyway.”
I would venture the long-term success rate is better than those who date for a year or more.