I did the one-year track starting with summer gen chem. The classes themselves, I felt, were plenty structured and, apart from bio, kept up on you from week to week so that no one fell behind. Having everything fresh in my mind for the MCAT was a huge advantage. What was sorely lacking, though, was anything extracurricular. From finding volunteer opportunities to MCAT prep and putting together my application, I was on my own and clueless. This resulted in perhaps a bit weaker of an application, but did nothing to hinder me from finishing in a year.
I recall Bryn Mawr, in contrast, having a binder full of volunteer opportunities passed down from outgoing students. The handholding, I thought, was most helpful for extracurricular issues. Once you've planned your coursework, though, individual courses will have their own structure for you no matter where you go. You also have to bear in mind that while Harvard casts a wide net, most formal post-bacc programs like these hand-pick precisely the students they are most certain will succeed.
When I was first exploring programs, I thought the extra handholding and advising would be critical for me in ultimately getting accepted, but looking back now, I see it as basically dropping an extra fifteen grand for a little advice now and then.
