Should I let this guy take me out to dinner?

I'll say keep him on scrotation, if it doesn't work you can always drop him. Main purpose of scrotation is to widen the option and not limit yourself so you don't feel too desperate or invested in just one guy.

Respect your own standards which don’t include baldies. He should join hair club for men or get a hair transplant or something. Wealthy men generally treat their balding issues. As they should. Men have no qualms about rejecting women they find unattractive.

You can get a man with a full head of hair who loses it 10 years into the relationship. So, I don’t think a receding hairline is a dealbreaker unless your vagina dries up when you look at him.

I would think of this in terms of opportunity cost. If you are new to your city, your opportunity cost of spending time with this man is probably pretty low (considering you may not have an established friend group or scrotation).

As long as he is treating you well and is useful to you, keep him around. Nothing wrong with having a "starter" man if he is serving a purpose in your life, and is a low risk/drama individual.

That being said, you being in grad school makes this time in your life a good opportunity to meet successful men, who may also meet your physical standards. So I would be careful to not invest too much time into Baldy to the detriment of going out with other men.

Hair isn't too terribly important in the grand scheme of things. I'm not stupid and I know that one day, all of my glorious dark, thick hair will soon start to thin and become grey or white with time, so it would be unfair for me to hold impossible standards regarding something small like someone's hair. When it comes to having a lifelong relationship, I seek the actual traits in a man, such as him being loving, emotionally available and responsible with his shit by himself without making me perform emotional labor for him, wants a commitment, wants the same things in life and in the future as I do, protects me from violence or when people try to hurt me in any way, etc.

However, sexual attraction is a huge compatibility issue. If his hair really bothers you this much, I'd ask myself a hard question: Do you really, sincerely, honestly, find him sexually attractive? This isn't about his hair. It's his whole package. You're picking at his hair because you think that's the only thing that's bugging you, but it isn't. Pretty soon it's going to be his nose that bothers you, or the way he smacks his lips after he talks, or the fact that his eyes are too spaced apart (or too close lmao) for your comfort. Point blank, you are not attracted to him.

It's okay to admit that as a woman, too.

Baldness isn't something I consider to be a dealbreaker. He can't help that. His personality, ambition, kindness, ability to be a friend to me, loyalty, respect, humor, etc. always come first to me long before what he looks like. But then, I'm still single, so what do I know? LOL. I've not been successful even dating the short, ugly, and bald, so maybe you don't follow my lead?🤣

I would go to dinner and treat it as a fact finding mission/an opportunity to meet someone new and interesting through your line of work but nothing more. Obvs he will have other intentions but you can play dumb fox. You may discover that the soon-to-be baldness is the last thing you notice about him as he shines in other ways. Pun not intended 😆 Or you could discount him for other reasons. You won’t know if you don’t try.

Honestly this wouldn't really be a deal breaker for me if I still found him attractive and he had other qualities I liked. But you gotta decide whether it's a deal breaker for you. For me a deal breaker is being over weight as men naturally burn more calories at rest than women and can put on muscle more easily then women.

Look at your bare minimum and high FDS standards. If he meets the bare minimum. Don’t date, If he meets your high standards then yes.

what does “spark” mean? i’ve always heard that but i never really understood it

I think good men have good friends and so while you may not be into him completely, becoming friends and casually hanging out could be a good way to meet other good men who likely meet your standards.

Usually if something is bothering me in man's looks I try not act receptive to his advances. Like if it's at work keep conversations only to work and don't act too friendly.

I don’t like bald men but some can look good. The only thing I would never accept is a short man. I would give this man a chance if he is being a great guy to you in other aspects and if you feel attracted to him. If not, let it go.