I have a pretty good GPA and nice transcript until this semester, probably because I did not take really hard courses before. This semester I took four fairly hard courses, as compared to my previous profile: two advanced econ courses in econometrics and microeconomics, an honors course in real analysis and a math graduate course in probability. I got four A-'s, some of them very close to A.
Now I am worried whether this result would signal my inability to do hard courses and hurt PhD application. I aim at top programs. I guess A- does have an influence but do not know how it would be in such a condition.