Personally, I do not think I am 精英. Doing research projects is same as doing common projects in the organization. Having a phd or master degree is just a life. No need to look down on other people.
Of course, as Lu Xun said, some people like to raise other people up and throw them down on the floor.
Forgot to give my opinions for the choice of universities. HKUST should be the first priority for doing research. Other two programs do not have high reputation. Of course, the stress of HK is very high and HKUST likes to kick students out.