We consider the propagation of wave packets for the nonlinear Schrodinger
equation, in the semi-classical limit. We establish the existence of a critical
size for the initial data, in terms of the Planck constant: if the initial data
are too small, the nonlinearity is negligible up to the Ehrenfest time. If the
initial data have the critical size, then at leading order the wave function
propagates like a coherent state whose envelope is given by a nonlinear
equation, up to a time of the same order as the Ehrenfest time.